Perceptions of coercion, discrimination and other negative experiences in postpartum contraceptive counseling for low-income minority women
Yee, L.M.; Simon, M.A.
Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved 22(4): 1387-1400
2011
ISSN/ISBN: 1548-6869 PMID: 22080717 DOI: 10.1353/hpu.2011.0144Document Number: 227368
Using in-depth qualitative methods, we investigated negative contraception counseling experiences, including those felt to be coercive or discriminatory, in a population of postpartum urban minority women. Brief surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 consenting postpartum women who had received care at a Medicaid-funded obstetrics clinic. In-person one-on-one interviews were then reviewed for themes using an iterative process of qualitative analysis. In this sample of African American (63%) and Hispanic (37%) women (median age 26), 73% had unplanned pregnancies. Features of negative counseling experiences included having insufficient, non-physician-directed and impersonal counseling. Most women had experienced episodes of poor communication with providers; 10 described feeling coerced or perceiving racially-based discrimination in counseling. Negative experiences with contraceptive counseling may affect contraception utilization. Contraceptive education should respect each individual's autonomy, culture, and values.