title: Socio-cultural inhibitors to use of modern contraceptive techniques in rural Uganda: a qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Family planning is one of the cost-effective strategies in reducing maternal and child morbidity and mortality rates. Yet in Uganda, the contraceptive prevalence rate is only 30% among married women in conjunction with a persistently high fertility rate of 6.2 children per woman. These demographic indicators have contributed to a high population growth rate of over 3.2% annually. This study examines the role of socio-cultural inhibitions in the use of modern contraceptives in rural Uganda.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a qualitative study conducted in 2012 among men aged 15-64 and women aged 15-49 in the districts of Mpigi and Bugiri in rural Uganda. Eighteen selected focus group discussions (FGDs), each internally homogeneous, and eight in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted among men and women. Data were collected on sociocultural beliefs and practices, barriers to modern contraceptive use and perceptions of and attitudes to contraceptive use. All interviews were tape recoded, translated and transcribed verbatim. All the transcripts were coded, prearranged into categories and later analyzed using a latent content analysis approach, with support of ATLAS.ti qualitative software. Suitable quotations were used to provide in-depth explanations of the findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three themes central in hindering the uptake of modern contraceptives emerged: (i) persistence of socio-cultural beliefs and practices promoting births (such as polygamy, extending family lineage, replacement of the dead, gender-based violence, power relations and twin myths). (ii) Continued reliance on traditional family planning practices and (iii) misconceptions and fears about modern contraception.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sociocultural expectations and values attached to marriage, women and child bearing remain an impediment to using family planning methods. The study suggests a need to eradicate the cultural beliefs and practices that hinder people from using contraceptives, as well as a need to scale-up family planning services and sensitization at the grassroots.
authors.affiliation: Department Population Studies, School of Statistics and Planning, College of Business and Management Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda; Center for Population and Applied Statistics, College of Business and Management Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Allen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kabagenyi
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Downing Pl, Cambridge CB2 3EN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: Department Population Studies, School of Statistics and Planning, College of Business and Management Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda; Center for Population and Applied Statistics, College of Business and Management Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ntozi
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P. O Box 7062, Kampala, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Atuyambe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003267:Contraception / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D003270:Contraceptive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003469:Culture; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population; D014454:Uganda; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003270:Contraceptive Agents
keywords: Uganda; beliefs; contraceptive use; cultural inhibitions; practices and family planning