The social reproductive span is influenced by family planning programs, which have traditionally focused on education regarding methods of fertility control, motivation to reduce the number of unwanted children, and provision of family planning methods themselves. These methods include promotion of breastfeeding (both for infant and maternal health, and to prolong the postpartum period), contraception, and in some cases, abortion.

A fundamental rationale for family planning programs is to reduce unintended fertility because of its negative health and welfare consequences and because control of fertility has been recognized as a human right of women and couples.