title: Woman's contraceptive needs and preferences in the postpartum period: an Italian study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe what puerperal women know about postpartum contraception and to identify their related needs and expectations.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Puerperal women face the problem of beginning or resuming contraception, the choice of the right method of contraception and the right time to start it. This choice becomes particularly important in case they breastfeed since the contraceptive method should not interfere with breastfeeding. Different factors, such as the level of knowledge women have about various contraceptive methods, their individual preferences or their desire to have a baby, can strongly influence this choice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study had been carried out within the period of six months, from November 2011-February 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred puerperal women were interviewed before their discharge from a Maternity Home. The women were asked for their personal characteristics, their maternity history, the information they had received, their knowledge and expectations about postpartum contraception and their intention to use contraception.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During pregnancy and postpartum, 45.5% of the women reported that they had received adequate information about contraception. Of these ones, 64.3% reported their intention to use contraception either to avoid pregnancy or to space out future births, even if they did not always have appropriate knowledge about fertility and the use of contraceptive methods during postpartum. During this study, we also discovered that women's intention to use contraception was proportional to their level of education.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women need more and appropriate information about postpartum contraception, to make a conscious choice in relation to their needs and without putting their health at risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To promote awareness of the choices related to postpartum contraception, it is important to understand the personal characteristics that influence or hinder this choice. Midwives can play a very important role in informing women and in developing educational interventions to support a safe contraceptive choice.
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Department, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Giacomo
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sbarlati
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bagnasco
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sasso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003270:Contraceptive Agents; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008875:Middle Aged; D049590:Postpartum Period; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003270:Contraceptive Agents
keywords: midwife; needs; postpartum contraception; preferences; reproductive health; women