Why “When” and “If” Matter More Than Ever In Family Planning

A wide-ranging discussion on family planning took centre stage on Culture Daily, as Dr Chris Aminarh and the Culture Squad examined why decisions around childbirth have become increasingly complex in modern Ghana.

Moving beyond contraception alone, the conversation focused on two critical questions: “when” to have children and “if” to have them at all.

Dr Chris Aminarh and the Squad noted a sharp generational shift in attitudes toward marriage and childbearing. In previous decades, marriage before age 30 was common and often supported by a single household income. Today, economic pressures, career instability and rising living costs have reshaped priorities.

The discussion also explored gendered approaches to family planning. While women are more likely to plan childbearing deliberately, men were described as often entering relationships without a clear timeline for parenthood, accepting outcomes rather than actively deciding them.

This imbalance, Dr Chris Aminarh noted, contributes to tension when pregnancies are unplanned. Women often process pregnancy privately before informing their partners, while men are expected to respond immediately without time to emotionally or financially adjust.

The panel stressed that such moments require space, communication and empathy, rather than judgment.

Beyond finances, the Squad highlighted overlooked factors such as: proximity to family support systems, declining trust in informal childcare arrangements, the rising cost and scarcity of domestic help and emotional readiness and mental health.

Ultimately, the panel agreed that family planning today must be viewed as a holistic life decision, not merely a medical or moral one.