Knowledge and attitudes of rural women regarding family planning

Abstract

Impressions based on interviews with antenatal clinic attendees and student-nurses at Rietvlei Hospital A questionnaire was designed and used to assess the ready knowledge and to probe the attitudes of rural antenatal clinic attendees (ANCs) regarding contraception. The survey revealed inadequate knowledge regarding the range of available methods and the potcntial side etrrcts of artifrcial birth control. No support was found for the common assumptions that rural women regard children as a current economic asset, or that they regard grant multiparity as protection against the high rural infant mortality rate. The majority of the women showd a high degree of receptiveness fn family planning, but lacked the freedom of choice in regard to the regulation of their own reproduction. This pointed to the need to extend family planning education to include rural men in whom vests the power of consent.