Contraceptive decision making in a sample of Jordanian Muslim women: Delineating salient beliefs

Abstract

In this article, the authors identify attitudes, normative beliefs, and behavioral control beliefs of Muslim Jordanian women with regard to avoiding unplanned pregnancy and using specific contraceptive methods. Based on Ajzen and Fishbein's theory of planned behavior, open‐ended questions were used in audio‐taped face‐to‐face interviews with 25 married 19—44‐year‐old Jordanian Muslim women. A majority of respondents interviewed were currently using an intra‐uterine device (IUD) for contraception. Few women were using oral contraceptives, condoms, or the rhythm method and none of them reported using foam or a diaphragm. Content analyses of narrative transcriptions suggest the individual's concerns for family and individual well‐being, as well as husbands' and families' opinions, may influence women's contraceptive behavior in this population.