TY - JOUR
T1 - Women’s choice between indigenous and western contraception in urban mozambique
AU - Agadjanian, Victor
N1 - Funding Information:
Victor Agadjanian is Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Arizona Slate University, Tempe, AZ 85287-2101. (E-mail: agadjanian@asu.edu). The author is grateful to the Population Council for supporting the research prqject of which the present study was a part, and the Ministry of Health of Mozani-bique for facilitating the fieldwork. The author would also like to thank Rose Weitz and Cecilia Menjivar for their helpful comments and suggestions.
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - Research on women's reproductive behavior and family planning in developing countries is usually focused on western contraceptive methods and rarely addresses indigenous contraception, such as herbs, amulets, and charms that are believed to prevent pregnancy. However, the available data demonstrate that indigenous contraception is widely known, and its prevalence often rivals that of western methods. Based on qualitative data collected in Greater Maputo, Mozambique, in 1993, this study explores and analyzes women's choice between western methods-mainly oral contraceptives, intra-uterine devices and injectables-available from state-run family planning clinics, and indigenous contraception, a combination of herbal and magical medicine, provided by traditional healers. The study demonstrates that women's choice between the two types of methods is determined by their socio-demographic characteristics and cultural background, access to these methods, perceptions of the effectiveness and undesirable side-effects of these methods, and by restrictions imposed by the providers. Although indigenous methods may not compete with western contraception in the long run, their present-day persistence warrants the attention of scholars and policymakers who intend to integrate women's concerns and constraints in the design of family planning systems.
AB - Research on women's reproductive behavior and family planning in developing countries is usually focused on western contraceptive methods and rarely addresses indigenous contraception, such as herbs, amulets, and charms that are believed to prevent pregnancy. However, the available data demonstrate that indigenous contraception is widely known, and its prevalence often rivals that of western methods. Based on qualitative data collected in Greater Maputo, Mozambique, in 1993, this study explores and analyzes women's choice between western methods-mainly oral contraceptives, intra-uterine devices and injectables-available from state-run family planning clinics, and indigenous contraception, a combination of herbal and magical medicine, provided by traditional healers. The study demonstrates that women's choice between the two types of methods is determined by their socio-demographic characteristics and cultural background, access to these methods, perceptions of the effectiveness and undesirable side-effects of these methods, and by restrictions imposed by the providers. Although indigenous methods may not compete with western contraception in the long run, their present-day persistence warrants the attention of scholars and policymakers who intend to integrate women's concerns and constraints in the design of family planning systems.
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U2 - 10.1300/J013v28n02_01
DO - 10.1300/J013v28n02_01
M3 - Article
C2 - 10067803
AN - SCOPUS:0032450407
SN - 0363-0242
VL - 28
SP - 1
EP - 17
JO - Women and Health
JF - Women and Health
IS - 2
ER -