Perceptions of couples about contraception in eastern India
Mundle, M.; Haldar, A.; Baur, B.; Haldar, S.; Chattopadhyay, S.; Soren, A.Baran.
Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health 42(2): 395-401
2011
ISSN/ISBN: 0125-1562 PMID: 21710863 Document Number: 220060
This community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in sampled villages and municipal wards of Paschim Medinipur District of West Bengal, India among 2,000 respondents, 3/4 were from rural and 1/4 from urban areas, to determine perceptions of couples about contraception. Decision-making about fertility and contraception was mostly made by the husband. Forty-four point three percent of rural and 77.6% of urban women preferred a birth spacing of > or = 3 years. The ideal interval between marriage and first pregnancy was considered to be > or = 3 years in nearly two thirds of women. With increasing literacy level among women, the ideal birth interval between pregnancies also increased. Eighty-nine point four percent of women had correct knowledge of family planning. Only 49.4% of women knew about the Copper-T contraceptive device.