Desire for Children and Fear of Side Effects – A Basic Barrier for Acceptance of Contraceptive Services in Rural Area of Central India

Abstract

Background: According to UN projection India’s population will reach 1.53 billion by the year 2050 and will be the highest population in the world. The success of the present RCH-II programme relies on the acceptance of contraceptive methods in reproductive age group. Objective: To determine the prevalence, type of contraceptive used and reasons for not accepting contraceptives in rural Maharashtra. Methodology: A cross sectional study was carried out in field practice area of a rural tertiary health care hospital in Wardha district of Maharashtra, India. Married women in the reproductive age group of 15 to 49 years were the study participants. Results: Out of total 378 women respondents 223(58.99%) were contraceptive acceptors. 62.78% women accepted permanent method of contraception. Among the temporary methods most commonly accepted was Cupper-T by 20.62% women. Commonest reason for not accepting contraceptives was desire of children in 30.32% women followed by fear of side effects in 18.06%. Conclusion: Many factors like desire for children; especially a male child, fear of side effects of contraceptives, breastfeeding, attended the menopause…etc converge to shape a woman’s attitudes about the use of and the need for contraception.

Keywords

• Contraceptive acceptance; Women; Reproductive age group