Year: 1996
Type: report
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The study aimed to assess the level of effective knowledge of women on different family planning \nmethods to see the impact of quality of care. The study was carried out in two villages chosen \nfrom ICDDR,B intervention and comparison areas of Matlab thana where BRAC's Rural \nDevelopment Programme (RDP) has also been working since 1992. From both the areas 600 \nwomen of reproductive age were randomly selected and interviewed. \nThe findings reveal that in the MCH-FP area 56% of women practiced family planning \nwhile only 33% did so in the comparison area. In both the areas the main methods used were pills \nand injectables. \nRegarding the knowledge of contraceptives, most women in the MCH-FP area were able \nto name five modem methods while the majority in the comparison area could name only three \nmethods. Virtually all women in both the villages could describe the nature of the pill and ligation \nwhile many had no idea about IUD and condom. Correct categorization of methods as temporary \nor permanent was found to be higher in the MCH-FP area than in the comparison area. The study \nfound that women in both the areas had little or no knowledge of the specific indications of all \nmethods. \nThe majority of women in the MCH-FP area knew about proper use of pill, injection and \ncondom compared to those in the comparison area where none had complete knowledge \nregarding any method. However, even in the MCH-FP area women did not know what to do if \ntwo pills were missed. The nature and the function of the brown tablets were not known to the \nwomen in the comparison area but some women in the MCH-FP area had some idea of the \nfurmm. . \nIn the MCH-FP area 78.4 % of the women knew the specific date of menstrual period \nfrom which injection should be started compared to the comparison area where only some of them \nknew about that. The majority of respondents in both the areas knew that it should be taken \nregularly at an interval of three months on a· fixed date. which was significantly higher in the \nMCH-FP area. The study found that maj~rity of women in the MCH-FP area knew the exact time \nand frequency of using condom compared to the comparison area where only a few .knew that. \nThis is not surprising given that only a small proportion of women in the comparison area ever \nheard of condoms and that none of the couples were using it. \\Vomen had no knowledge about \nthe timing of insertion of IUD, but only that it had to be replaced periodically at an interval of2-4 \nyears. - \nWomen's general perception about the mechanism of action of the different methods was that they act by damaging the sperm or ovum. Women had no clear idea about the advantages of \nany of the methods. It was found that most of the women in the MCH-FP area were interested in \ninjection, as the main advantage was that one injection provided three months' protection and \nmaintained privacy (as it was administered like any other injection). This was specially appreciated \nby those who were shy about using contraceptives. \nWomen had little knowledge of the side-effects of contraceptive methods. The commonly \nmentioned side-effects of pill and injection were: giddiness, weakness, headache, and irregular and \nheavy menstrual bleeding. Some respondents mentioned that injection caused prolonged \namenorrhoea which in tum caused bodyache, and burning sensation in hands and feet. The women \nin the MCH-FP area had misconceptions about condoms such as that it might cause genital ulcer. \nThe side-effects of ligation were more often assumed than actually experienced.
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7185859