This booklet deals with the question of whether theimplementation of family planning within countries really makes a difference in the quality of life.

This volume helps fill the gap left from insufficiently archived details of family planning programs carried out in many developing countries from the 1950s through the 1980s of their operations, their commonalities, and their differences, with much useful information and informed analysis. The programs were complex undertakings in difficult settings that had little prior experience to draw upon. Not surprisingly, as the case studies described here demonstrate, no single strategy was available that could be employed across these diverse situations, and procedures that were successful in one country did not necessarily function well in another. The case studies also indicate that developing a successful program was as much an art as a science. The key ingredient was being able to distinguish when a somewhat radical new approach was needed and when only some fine-tuning was necessary. While not a focus of this book, the family planning programs had several important, indirect effects on the field of population studies that merit attention as part of the record. First, uncertainty about the programs' worth and how to measure the extent of their success spurred a great deal of research on the measuring and modeling of fertility and contraceptive practice, on fecundity issues, on the effect of marriage patterns on fertility, and on a host of related topics. Second, the programs greatly advanced the science of evaluation. Third, the programs led demographers to work with specialists from many other disciplines, including public health, economics, sociology, political science, and psychology. Finally, the family planning efforts attracted many new and talented people to the field of population studies. The 23 case studies presented here were the earliest national efforts to establish organized family planning programs for entire populations. The resulting chapters naturally vary in terms of their balance of history, analysis, and personal reflections given the wide diversity of national contexts and program types. The study's overall conclusion is that, for the most part, the family planning program "experiment" worked: policy and program interventions contributed substantially to the revolutionary rise of contraceptive use and to the decline in fertility that has occurred in the developing world in the past three decades.

Background: Almost half (49%) of all U.S. pregnancies are unintended. Of these, 43% end in abortion. Clearly, safe and affordable contraception and abortion services are vital for women to achieve their reproductive goals. Despite this major public health need, federal policies restrict funding for abortion research. SFP promotes scientifically sound research by funding studies on contraception and abortion, developing clinical guidelines, and advancing family planning knowledge to inform public policy. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate how SFP-funded research and SFP's evidence-based clinical guidelines have impacted family planning policy and practice. Methods: A review of legislative barriers to abortion research and a literature review of clinical guidelines provided important context for analyzing SFP's impact on the field. A semistructured, 30-question survey was sent to 309 SFP fellows to solicit their views about the impact of SFP's programmatic activities. In addition, two fellows who received SFP grants were interviewed about the impact of the grant on their research. Interview transcripts were coded in NVIVO 9.2 and analyzed for themes. Results: 171 fellows participated in the survey. They were comprised of physicians, clinicians, educators and social science researchers. Conclusions: SFP's main impact is contributing to knowledge about abortion and contraception and providing research support for typically under-funded research areas. SFP also attracts new researchers to the field, provides a supportive research community, and legitimizes family planning as a sub-specialization. Several fellows noted the need for more time for the research to have impact.

The Sources and Nature of the Statistics of the United Kingdom, produced under th~ auspices of the Royal Statistical Society and edited by Maurice Kendall, filled a notable gap on the library shelves when it made its appearance in the early post-war years. Through a series of critical reviews by many of the foremost national experts, it constituted a valuable contemporary guide to statisticians working in many fields as well as a bench-mark to which historians of the development of Statistics in this country are likely to return again and again. The Social Science Research Council* and the Society were both delighted when Professor Maunder came forward with the proposal that a revised version should be produced, indicating as well his willingness to take on the onerous task of editor. The two bodies were more than happy to act as co-sponsors of the project and to help in its planning through a joint steering committee. The result, we are confident, will be judged a worthy successor to the previous volumes by the very much larger 'statistics public' that has come into being in the intervening years. Mrs SUZANNE REEVE Mrs E. J. SNELL Secretary Honorary Secretary Economic and Social Research Council Royal Statistical Society *SSRC is now the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). vii MEMBERSHIP OF JOINT STEERING COMMITTEE (December 1986) Chairman: Miss S. V. Cunliffe Representing the Royal Statistical Society: Mr M. C. Fessey Dr S. Rosenbaum Mrs E. J.

This document is one of two evidence-based cornerstones of the World Health Organization's (WHO) new initiative to develop and implement evidence-based guidelines for family planning. The first cornerstone, the Medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use (third edition) published in 2004, provides guidance for who can use contraceptive methods safely. This document, the Selected practice recommendations for contraceptive use (second edition), provides guidance for how to use contraceptive methods safely and effectively once they are deemed to be medically appropriate. The recommendations contained in this document are the product of a process that culminated in an expert Working Group meeting held at the World Health Organization, Geneva, 13-16 April 2004.