TY - JOUR T1 - What Do We Demand? Responding to the Call for Precision and Definitional Agreement in Family Planning’s “Demand” and “Need” Jargon JF - Global Health: Science and Practice JO - GLOB HEALTH SCI PRACT DO - 10.9745/GHSP-D-22-00030 VL - 10 IS - 1 SP - e2200030 AU - Madeleine Short Fabic Y1 - 2022/02/28 UR - http://www.ghspjournal.org/content/10/1/e2200030.abstract N2 - See related article by Speizer et al.Jargon—the specialized language used by people in the same work or profession—is only communicative if the people working in that profession have a common understanding of its meaning. As with most fields, family planning (FP) has its share of jargon and its own debates about the meaning of various pieces of jargon. As Speizer et al.1 describe in this issue of GHSP, 2 terms, in particular, are frequently misused and misinterpreted: “demand” and “need.” Speizer et. al.1 make a call to action for the broader FP community to improve language and metrics to describe demand and need and to ensure that “the perspectives of users, potential users, and nonusers are included.” This commentary offers an initial response to that call: it disambiguates several key terms; offers definitions for a set of interrelated yet distinct FP concepts; elaborates upon ongoing definitional and measurement challenges; and offers a set of recommendations to add precision, improve measurement, and foster shared understanding. Its main contribution is a demand typology framework, which can buttress existing, ongoing, and new efforts to respond to the call to action.One of the initial areas of confusion in FP jargon is the field’s frequent use of economic terms. Borrowed language includes “desire,” “want,” “need,” and “demand.” According to many economists,2,3 “desire” is a wish, and “want” is a nonessential desire. “Need” is a necessity, essential for life, and “demand” as a desire plus ability and willingness to enact that desire (Box 1). In the context of disambiguating FP’s “need” and “demand” terminology and measures, definitions are crucial.One of the initial areas of confusion in FP jargon is the field’s frequent use of economic terms.BOX 1 Defining Economic Terms Adopted by Family PlanningDesire: A wish.Want: A nonessential desire.Need: An essential desire, a … ER -