Myths and misconceptions: barriers to reversible contraception use in a rural Indian village.

Indias national family program has succeeded in lowering the nations total fertility rate to 2.97 from a high of 5.97 in 1950. The most prevalent form of contraception is female sterilization which accounts for 76% of all use among women. Research suggests however that female sterilization is unlikely to contribute to further fertility decline. Rates of use of temporary modern methods of contraception are very low. Previous studies have found barriers to contraceptive use to include the monetary and time costs of obtaining contraception the social stigma of using contraceptives in an unsupportive setting lack of knowledge the costs of acquiring additional information worry over possible side effects and fears that reversible methods are ineffective. This paper examines the attitudes and beliefs of women towards the use of temporary contraceptive methods in a rural village in Maharashtra India. The paper seeks to understand the range of individual and familial factors that influence a womans choice of contraceptive method. A greater understanding of both the decision making process involved in contraceptive choice and the role of others in this process has the potential to inform programs that seek to increase the uptake of temporary contraceptive methods in rural India. (excerpt)