Determinants of unmet need for family planning in squatter settlements in Karachi, Pakistan

The concept of “unmet need” for family planning refers to a discrepancy between the fertility goals expressed by women and their actual contraceptive practices (Concepcion, 1980). The most fundamental discrepancy is non-use of contraception despite an expressed preference for limiting births. High levels of unmet need are a principal rationale for the existence of family planning programmes.