Does the Belief That Contraceptive Use Causes Infertility Actually Affect Use? Findings from a Social Network Study in Kenya

Bibliographic Data

ID10795925
AuthorsErica Sedlander (0000-0002-5128-669X, Erica Sedlander, Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA. University of California, San Francisco, Department of Family and Community Medicine San Francisco CA USA, corresponding author), Jeffrey B Bingenheimer (0000-0002-1427-0402, Jeffrey B. Bingenheimer, The George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health Department of Prevention and Community Health Washington DC USA, corresponding author), Shaon Lahiri (0000-0001-9797-9566, Shaon Lahiri, The George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health Department of Prevention and Community Health Washington DC USA, corresponding author), Mary Thiongo (0000-0002-0598-995X, Mary Thiongo, International Center for Reproductive Health Kenya Mombasa Kenya, corresponding author), Peter Gichangi (0000-0001-9636-165X, Peter Gichangi, Technical University of Mombasa, Mombasa, Kenya. Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Ghent University Ghent Belgium, corresponding author), Wolfgang Munar (0000-0002-9234-987X, Wolfgang Munar, Department of Global Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health The George Washington University Washington DC USA, corresponding author), R N Rimal (0000-0003-1413-9305, Johns Hopkins University, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume52
Issue3
Pages343-359
Publication date2021-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueStudies in Family Planning (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0039-3665 • E-ISSN: 1728-4465
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/sifp.12157
PMID34255872
OpenAlexW3182457710
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited43

The belief that contraceptive use causes infertility has been documented across sub‐Saharan Africa, but its quantitative association with actual contraceptive use has not been examined. We collected and analyzed sociocentric network data covering 74 percent of the population in two villages in rural Kenya. We asked respondents to nominate people from their village (their network), and then we matched their network (alters) to the individual participant (ego) to understand how their beliefs and behaviors differ. We asked about contraceptive use and level of agreement with a statement about contraceptive use causing infertility. We calculated the average nominated network contraceptive use score and the average nominated network belief score. Holding the individual belief that contraceptive use causes infertility was associated with lower odds of using contraceptive (AOR = 0.82, p = p

Affect (linguistics · Environmental health · Fertility · Gynecology · Infertility · Obstetrics · Population · Pregnancy · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Medicine · Psychology · Reproductive Health and Technologies