title: Objects of temporary contraception: an exploratory study of women's perspectives in Karachi, Pakistan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore perspectives of three modern contraceptive objects, using an emic approach, among women in a low-income community in Karachi, Pakistan.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative interview study design was employed, using qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach and manual thematic coding.
  
  
  METHODS
  Shah Faisal Colony, Karachi.
  
  
  METHODS
  20 women, potential contraceptive users of reproductive age and living within a health centre catchment, were purposively selected to provide a similar number of non-users (n=5), contraceptive injection users (n=7), pill users (n=4), and intrauterine device users (n=4). One interview was excluded because it was not recorded. No other exclusion criteria were used.
  
  
  METHODS
  The primary outcome was interpretation of potency and effects of selected family planning objects. Secondary outcome measures were knowledge of family planning and description of therapeutic approaches used and preferred.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Awareness of family planning was high. Women described different therapeutic approaches, stating they generally preferred modern medicine for contraception as it was fastest and most powerful. They reported that fear of some contraceptive objects, particularly injections and intrauterine contraceptive devices, influenced their choices. Women explained their perceptions of how the heating effects of contraceptives could cause unwanted side effects including menstrual irregularities, weight gain and weakness, leading to disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most women wanted family planning, but remained dissatisfied with the available contraceptives and their effects. While women reported that they relied on modern medicine for contraception, their descriptions of how contraceptives affected their health relied on the hot-cold explanatory idiom of traditional medicine.
authors.affiliation: Leadership Development for Mobilising Reproductive Health (LDM), Institute of International Education, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Kamyla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Marvi
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Howard
keywords: Public Health; Qualitative Research; Reproductive Medicine
references.citation: J Adv Nurs. 2000 Mar;31(3):715-21
references.pmid: 10718892
references.citation: Int J Womens Health. 2010 Aug 09;2:211-20
references.pmid: 21072313
references.citation: J Biosoc Sci. 2011 Sep;43(5):587-96
references.pmid: 21554832
references.citation: J Biosoc Sci. 1995 Jul;27(3):301-18
references.pmid: 7650047
references.citation: Pak Dev Rev. 1995 Winter;34(4 Pt. III):889-98
references.pmid: 12146439
references.citation: Stud Fam Plann. 2001 Jun;32(2):95-110
references.pmid: 11449867
references.citation: Reprod Health. 2009 Feb 19;6:3
references.pmid: 19228420
references.citation: Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care. 2000 Mar;5(1):85-90
references.pmid: 10836668
references.citation: Acad Med. 2017 Oct;92(10):1406
references.pmid: 28952997
references.citation: Percept Mot Skills. 1991 Dec;73(3 Pt 1):1004-6
references.pmid: 1792111
references.citation: JAMA. 1971 May 17;216(7):1153-8
references.pmid: 4325136
references.citation: Soc Sci Med Med Anthropol. 1980 Nov;14B(4):225-33
references.pmid: 7209593
references.citation: Int Fam Plan Perspect. 2006 Jun;32(2):71-8
references.pmid: 16837387
references.citation: BMC Public Health. 2011 Oct 04;11:760
references.pmid: 21970548
references.citation: J Pak Med Assoc. 2002 Dec;52(12):539-44
references.pmid: 12627900
references.citation: Int Fam Plan Perspect. 2005 Mar;31(1):15-23
references.pmid: 15888405
references.citation: BMC Womens Health. 2011 Feb 16;11:5
references.pmid: 21324194
references.citation: J Altern Complement Med. 2009 May;15(5):545-50
references.pmid: 19422284
references.citation: J Pak Med Assoc. 2005 Sep;55(9):363-8
references.pmid: 16302467
references.citation: J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2007 May 02;3:19
references.pmid: 17475013
references.citation: Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care. 2008 Mar;13(1):83-9
references.pmid: 17853161
references.citation: Res Nurs Health. 1984 Jun;7(2):101-9
references.pmid: 6565303
references.citation: Health Policy Plan. 2012 Mar;27(2):166-74
references.pmid: 21441567
references.citation: Am J Public Health. 2008 Oct;98(10):1803-13
references.pmid: 18703457
references.citation: Soc Sci Med. 1994 Jan;38(2):383-93
references.pmid: 8140465
references.citation: Soc Sci Med. 1987;25(4):389-99
references.pmid: 3317876
references.citation: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2005 Jun;2(2):139-142
references.pmid: 15937553
references.citation: West J Med. 1983 Dec;139(6):910-6
references.pmid: 6666109
references.citation: Glob Public Health. 2011;6 Suppl 1:S38-51
references.pmid: 21732869
references.citation: Pak Dev Rev. 1996 Summer;35(2):145-70
references.pmid: 12321255
references.citation: Pak Dev Rev. 1996 Spring;35(1):1-22
references.pmid: 12292564