Target 3.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) calls on countries to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services, including family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programs by 2030. However, the unmet need for family planning remains the bottleneck in realizing these goals. The prevalence of unmet needs is high globally and more concerning in low-middle-income countries, calling for implementing better strategies. Family planning employs decision-making as a major component of reproductive health services. It is a woman`s ability to independently decide on the method she wants to use by successfully overcoming several barriers around her. Decision-making largely depends on awareness of the benefits of various family planning methods, their accessibility and affordability, and their pros and cons. Until recently, contraceptive decision-making has received inadequate attention because the stakeholders' focus has largely been on the availability, accessibility, and utilisation of the methods, as manifested by the primary health declarations in low- and middle-income countries. However, reproductive health services have received global attention regarding policy articulation, program design and implementation, and monitoring activities guided by robust evidence generated through research. More focus is now given to improving education and accessibility of family planning methods simultaneously. Various strategies for reaching informed decisions include comprehensive health advocacy, starting from sex education campaigns in schools and communities to post-natal services supplemented by the widespread availability of contraceptive methods across all healthcare centers and making them affordable through free government supplies and social marketing. Extra emphasis is given to involving male counterparts to foster shared responsibility for reproductive health and boost support for contraception within families and communities. The use of technology and creativity to increase access to contraception, like telemedicine for distant consultations and mobile health apps for information and tracking, are also being tested. Lastly, the role of customising family planning education and services to be culturally sensitive and respect one’s beliefs and values cannot be negated. This can be achieved through the engagement of community leaders and religious organisations to address cultural taboos and misconceptions about contraception. By employing these measures, we can improve family planning education and accessibility, allowing people to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and attain their ideal family size. Based on this background, the current collection encourages the submission of manuscripts (original articles, review articles) that aim at sexual health education, determinants of contraceptive use, access to contraceptive use in resource-poor countries and the role of men in family planning decisions to further our efforts in this regard.

The importance of comprehensive contraceptive education and accessibility cannot be overstated. Yet, as it is with most health services, within vulnerable populations, such crucial resources often remain out of reach, leading to adverse health outcomes and perpetuating cycles of inequality. This collection serves as a vital platform for scholars, researchers, and practitioners to gather information on contraceptive education and accessibility in vulnerable populations worldwide. It proposes to shed light on the current situations, innovative strategies, evidence-based interventions, and policy recommendations that can empower individuals, particularly those in marginalized groups, to make informed choices about their reproductive health. The collection welcomes a diverse range of contributions, including original research articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, policy analyses, case studies, commentaries, and perspectives. Authors are encouraged to present novel insights, empirical findings, and practical recommendations that can inform policy decision-making, program development, and clinical or public health practice in the field of reproductive health. The collection invites contributions that explore a wide range of research areas, including but not limited to: ● Barriers to access: Investigating the socio-economic, cultural, and geographical barriers that hinder contraceptive access and utilization among vulnerable populations. ● Perspectives: Documentation of perspectives on contraceptives and contraceptive use among vulnerable populations. ● Education and awareness: Assessing the effectiveness of various educational interventions and campaigns aimed at promoting contraceptive literacy and empowering individuals to make informed choices. ● Innovations in service delivery: Highlighting innovative approaches to delivering contraceptive services, such as telemedicine, community-based interventions, and task-shifting initiatives, to reach underserved populations. ● Policy and advocacy: Analyzing policy frameworks, legal barriers, and advocacy efforts aimed at improving contraceptive access, affordability, and coverage for vulnerable communities. ● Contraception in humanitarian settings: Exploring contraception education interventions and best practices impacting Policy in humanitarian environments. ● Adolescents and contraception: Predictors, best practices, policy implications, and impact related to adolescents’ use of contraception.