This paper reports on the results of a questionnaire on antenatal utilization, family planning and fertility preferences carried out on 2560 women in Tari in 1998. There is a very high level of utilization of antenatal and delivery services. There is also a broad knowledge of family planning methods, but very low uptake of these services. Part of the reason for this lies in high fertility preferences among women in Tari, part in a lack of confidence regarding the methods, and part in male opposition to their use. Comparison with elsewhere in Papua New Guinea confirms that health service utilization and fertility preferences are high, and family planning uptake is low in Tari. The decline in health services and the collapse of law and order in Tari bodes ill for the future of a family planning program in a district in which the need for such services is rising, due to the effects of population pressure on the environment.
Family Planning ; Preferences ; seconds ; utilization ; Fertility

Family planning is a very complex matter and has many ramifications so that one may expect a variety of problems besetting operation of family planning programs. One of the problems advocated so far is the drop-out rate or delinquent appointment rate of family planning clinics which is known to be as high as to deserve special attention. It is an urgent issue to be studied so that the family planning clinics could take measures to insure the continued optimal utilization of the services offered. Hence, the Nanakuli Family Planning Clinic was chosen as a sample to study and find out any differences and similarities between the "Delinquents" and "Non-delinquents" of the clinic, hoping that any meaningful facts brought out by this study could get the clinic to have the optimal utilization of the services by it's clients. Specific conclusions resulting from this study are the optimal utilization of family planning service by clients could not be expected without providing provisions for the biological, situational, and environmental problems of the clients as well as the administrative and managerial problems besetting the clinic operation itself.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Contraceptive Agents/supply & distribution ; Contraceptive Devices/supply & distribution ; Contraceptives, Oral/supply & distribution ; Family Planning/manpower ; Family Planning/utilization* ; Female ; Hawaii ; Human ; Middle Age ; Pregnancy