Family planning policies and their impacts on the poor: Peru's experience.

In this article we review policies and laws relevant to family planning and provide insight on how the family planning policies have evolved and affected access to services as well as how characteristics of and trends in the family planning market* have changed over time. Our assessment draws on multiple information sources including family planning market segmentation data and literature on Perus family planning program. Additional sources such as ombudsman reports user and provider interviews and health facility studies clarify specific points. A historic overview of key family planning policies and programs implemented in Peru focusing on three time periods 1985-1995 1995-2000 and 2000-2004 provides information on policies that have been put in place and the degree to which they have affected access to family planning among the poor. (excerpt)