The article aimed at declaring the women's reasons for having an unmet need for family planning and identifying its socio-economic determinants. The study is based on Iranian Demographic and Health Survey (IDHS) which was conducted in 2000.
The results of study indicate that unmet need for family planning varies from 3.6% in Tehran city to 31.3% in rural areas of Sistan and Balouchestan (south east of Iran). A high proportion of women with unmet need are those who have experienced unwanted pregnancies. Health concerns about contraceptives and social disapprovals are other important reasons. The study shows that inadequate access to services and lack of knowledge about methods and outlets are not among the predominant causes of unmet need. The study identifies a significant relation between the unmet need and education, age at marriage and standards of living.