Intention of pregnant women for the postpartum use of intrauterine devices in Upper Egypt’s rural communities

Abstract

Objectives

This study aims to assess pregnant women’s intention in rural Upper Egypt to use the copper-bearing intrauterine device (IUD) and to identify the factors influencing their intention to use the method.

Methods

The study was a household survey of 400 pregnant women in 16 villages in Assiut and Sohag Governorates in Upper Egypt.

Results

Only one third of the study participants (30.8%) had the intention to use IUD. Reasons of not intending to use IUD were; perceived pain during IUD insertion or removal (37.5%), perceived side effects (21.3%) and misconceptions (15.2%), husbands’ disapproval for using the method (15.8%) and the desire for future fertility (12.3%). Having a secondary or a higher level of education (OR (95% CI) = 1.726 (1.085–2.746), p = 0.01) and previous use of IUD (OR (95% CI) = 2.277 (1.108–4.678), p = 0.02) were the positive predictors of the intention to use IUD, while perception of husband opposition to IUD use (OR (95% CI) = 0.604 (0.379–0.964), p = 0.03) and perception of IUD related myths (OR (95% CI) = 0.893 (0.836–0.955), p = 0.004) were the negative predictors of the intention to use IUD.

Conclusion

The intention to use IUD is relatively low among pregnant women in rural Upper Egypt. Targeting pregnant women and their husbands with proper counselling regarding IUD use during antenatal care visits would greatly impact increasing their use of the method.

上埃及乡村孕妇产后使用宫内节育器的意愿 摘要

目的：本研究旨在评估上埃及乡村孕妇使用含铜宫内节育器（intrauterine device, IUD）的意愿, 并确定影响其使用意愿的因素。

方法：这项研究是对上埃及艾斯尤特省和Sohag16个村庄的400名孕妇进行的家庭调查。

结果：只有三分之一的研究参与者（30.8%）打算使用IUD。不打算使用IUD的原因有：放置或取出IUD时感觉疼痛（37.5%）、认为有副作用（21.3%）和误解（15.2%）、丈夫反对使用IUD（15.8%）以及希望再次生育（12.3%）。受过中等或高等教育(OR (95% CI) = 1.726 (1.085-2.746), p = 0.01) 和曾使用IUD(OR (95% CI) = 2.277 (1.108-4.678), p = 0.02) 是使用IUD意愿的积极预测因子, 而丈夫反对使用IUD (OR (95% CI) = 0.604 (0.379-0.964), p = 0.03) 和与IUD相关的错误观念 (OR (95% CI) = 0.893 (0.836-0.955), p = 0.004) 是使用IUD意愿的负面预测因子。

结论：上埃及乡村孕妇使用IUD的意愿相对较低。在产前保健访视期间, 针对孕妇及其丈夫, 就IUD的使用提供适当的咨询, 能增长使用IUD的意愿。

Keywords:

• IUD
• intention to use
• myths
• Upper Egypt

Acknowledgements

Special thanks are also due to Ministry of Health and Population and Assiut family planning health sector for their support and facilitating data collection.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interests were reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to thank the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) for funding the study.