Perspectives of physicians in Sri Lanka on periodic abstinence
Perera, H.W.; Steiner, M.; Kennedy, K.I.; Snowden, R.
Ceylon Medical Journal 34(2): 87-94
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0009-0875 PMID: 2620372 Document Number: 373893
Since physicians strongly influence both national family planning policy and individuals' contraceptive choice, a survey was conducted to learn about the perspectives of Sri Lankan physicians (n=100) regarding periodic abstinence (PA) methods of family planning. Female doctors (28% of the sample) were twice as likely to have ever provided PA advice to their clients as their male counterparts. Providers of PA were more likely to have ever personally used this form of contraception than PA nonproviders. Regardless of PA provider status, all physicians most frequently recommended pills, injectables, and IUDs to their clients. They had good knowledge of the temperature method. The scientific foundation for this method is studied in medical school, suggesting that if the other modern methods (Billings, sympto-thermal) were incorporated into the medical school curriculum, physicians might be more willing to discuss, refer, or provide other modern, scientific forms of PA to their clients.