Obstacles to contraceptive use in Turkey: findings from a qualitative research

Ilknur Yuksel Alyanak, Hacettepe University
Filiz Kardam, Cankaya University
Ismet Koc, Hacettepe University
Banu Akadlı Ergöçmen, Hacettepe University

Turkey has a long history in conducting quantitative demographic surveys since 1968. However, the demographic surveys almost no information on reasons behind the obstacles of contraceptive use. To understanding the reasons, 65 in-depth interviews were carried out in four cities from different regions of the country. The in-depth interviews were conducted with never and ever-married women who are in reproductive age groups living in rural and urban areas. The reasons such as socio-economic characteristics of the families, education, knowledge about contraceptive methods, health facilities, the relations between wife and husband, family and social relations etc. are found to affect the contraceptive use as well as the other choices in their lives. The mentioned obstacles are reinforcing each other. The research indicates that gender relations constitute a base line for the obstacles and women can make informed and conscious choice for contraception only if they have opportunity to make conscious choice in both public and private life.