In 1951, India became the first country in the developing world to adopt a state-sponsored family planning program. Yet six decades of family planning promotion, reproductive health outcomes in India remain poor, particularly in the North.

The use of non-permanent contraceptive methods for spacing births is particularly important in improving infant and maternal health (WHO, 2005). Internationally agreed human rights relevant to contraceptive knowledge and services include the rights to information, education, and the highest attainable standard of health (United Nations, 1966). Studies have demonstrated that improvements in quality of care according to these principles increases contraceptive use (Cottingham, 2012). Moreover, the right to the highest attainable standard of health obligates governments to ensure that contraceptive services are of good quality (United Nations, 2000).

In 1997, India’s national program adopted a broader human rights framework involving a focus on family planning needs, client choice, and service quality (Visaria et al, 1999). Despite this official paradigm shift, female sterilization remains the predominant form of contraceptive use in India, with limited use of non-permanent contraceptive methods for spacing births.

This research uses Socio-Ecological Model as its theoretical framework to investigate determinants of non-permanent contraceptive use among women living in rural Uttar Pradesh, India.

Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with currently married women aged 19-49 from June-August 2012.

All interviews were conducted in Hindi and were audio-recorded. Interviews were transcribed, translated into English, and accuracy checked. Initial coding was done by hand while the researchers were in the field. A code book is currently being developed and coding will be carried out using qualitative analysis software.

The methodology for data analysis is rooted in concepts of grounded theory and constant comparison (Glaser and Strauss, 1967; Charmaz, 2006).

This study was approved by the University of California, Berkeley Institutional Review Board, protocol 2012-02-4053.

• World Health Organization. Report of a WHO technical consultation on birth spacing. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. 2005.

• United Nations. International covenant on economic, social and cultural rights. New York: United Nations. 1966.

• Cottingham J, Germain A, & Hunt P. Use of human rights to meet the unmet need for family planning. Lancet: 380(9837):172-80. 2012.

• United Nations Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. General comment 14: the rights to the highest attainable standard of health. Geneva: United Nations. 2000.

• VisariaL, Jejeebhoy S, & Merrick T. From family planning to reproductive health: challenges facing India. Int Fam Plan Per; 25(2 Suppl):S44-9. 1999.

BACKGROUND

Determinants of Non-Permanent Contraceptive Use among Women in Rural Uttar Pradesh, India

Courtney E. Henderson, MPH, Anne Villumsen, Malcolm Potts, MB, BChir, FRCOG

METHODS

RESULTS

CONCLUSIONS

DEMOGRAPHICS

REFERENCES & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• Glaser B & Strauss A. The discovery of grounded theory for qualitative research. New York: Aldine de Gruyter. 1967.

• Charmanz K. Constructing grounded theory: a practical guide through qualitative analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 2006.

The authors would like to thank Gopi Gopalakrishnan and the staff at World Health Partners for their assistance in field logistics; Shrity Sharan and Sanskrity Sharan for their assistance in data collection; the Bixby Center for Population, Health, and Sustainability at University of California, Berkeley and the Center for Global Public Health at University of California, Berkeley for their financial support; and all the women who so generously offered to share their time and experiences with us.

CONTRACEPTIVE CHARACTERISTICS

ENABLING FACTORS & BARRIERS