The acceptability and use of contraception: a prospective study of Somalian women's attitude

This study combined quantitative and qualitative data in order to understand more fully the Somalian perspective of family planning services. Quantitative data alone were insufficient to provide a plausible explanation for the poor uptake of contraceptive services and methods for spacing pregnancies among Somalian women attending the African Well Women Clinic at the Central Middlesex Hospital. The qualitative data elicited deeper issues, provided insights and explained the causal factor of low uptake of family planning services. Religious teaching, status of men and women and an oral tradition were identified as fundamental to Somalian conceptualisation of family planning services. This study suggests that there is a need to provide not only family planning, but health-care services as a whole within a broader social and cultural dimension that meets the need of this clientele. This would entail viewing care within their social and religious context.