Choosing a Contraceptive: Method Choice in Asia and the United States.

Abstract

This book presents evidence from recent investigations of contraceptive method choice in a variety of countries focusing on Asia and the US. Included are discussions of psychosocial and economic approaches to understanding method choice descriptive and analytical analyses of choices and an integrative summary that concludes the volume. The 1st chapter sketches a framework for investigating contraceptive method choice. The chapters in part I describe various perspectives for interpreting individual method choices--filters you perceive when you look upward through the funnel. The 1st perspective considered in chapter 2 is the psychological which interprets choices with reference to personal attitudes and values. Chapter 3 considers physicians perceptions as they modify contraceptive choice. Distinguishable from psychological factors though also at least partly matters of perception are access considerations which define the perspective of chapter 4. Chapter 5 adopts an economic perspective in interpreting variations in choice. The chapters that follow deal with individual countries most of them Asian. Several chapters of Part I also provide comparable analysis of non-Asian countries--Egypt Mauritius Peru Jamaica and the US. In Part II the authors consider contraceptive choices in 6 Asian countries--the Republic of Korea Malaysia Thailand Sri Lanka India and Bangladesh. Part II provides a contrast in setting looking at method choice in the US.