Reproductive health rights of women in the rural areas of meherpur district in bangladesh.
BACKGROUND
This study evaluated the reproductive health rights, women empowerment and gender equity in a rural area of Bangladesh.


METHODS
Three hundred married women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Meherpur District, Bangladesh were interviewed using a structured questionnaire and purposing sampling techniques. The logistic regression analysis was used to determine the dominating factors affecting reproductive health rights. To fulfill the objectives of the study the two main factors, age at marriage and family planning acceptance of the respondents, were regarded as the determinants.


RESULTS
The study results revealed that almost all the respondents were housewives (82.3%), one-third (31.0%) did not avail any modern facility, and their yearly income was very low. Moreover, about half of the women (52.7%) were very young (≤30 years), most of them (79.0%) had married early (<18 years) and about half of them (53.3%) had taken contraceptives based on their husbands' choice. Finally, multi-variate analysis identified the relationship between the profession of the respondents, yearly income, number of family members, and the availability of modern facilities with age at marriage (Model 1). The study also identified the relationship between the age of respondents, education, occupation, yearly income, and the total number of family members with family planning acceptance (Model 2).


CONCLUSIONS
Regarding the results of this study, women's reproductive health rights, marriage after the age of 18 and family planning acceptance among couples needs to be enhanced in Mehrpur District in Bangladesh.
Department of Population Science and Human Resource Development, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, Bangladesh.
Md Kamal
MK
Hossain
Md Nazrul Islam
MN
Mondal
Mst Nazniz
MN
Akter
Empowerment; Gender; Reproductive rights; Women