RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 A qualitative analysis of women's explanations for changing contraception: the importance of non-contraceptive effects
JF Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care
JO J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care
FD British Medical Journal Publishing Group
SP 256
OP 262
DO 10.1136/jfprhc-2015-101184
VO 42
IS 4
A1 Britta Wigginton
A1 Melissa L Harris
A1 Deborah Loxton
A1 Jayne C Lucke
YR 2016
UL http://jfprhc.bmj.com/content/42/4/256.abstract
AB Background Women commonly report changing contraceptive methods because of side-effects. However, there is a lack of literature that has thoroughly examined women's perspectives, including why they changed contraception.Aim Using qualitative data from a contraceptive survey of young Australian women, we explored women's explanations for their recent changes in contraception.Method A thematic analysis of 1051 responses to a question about why women recently changed contraception was conducted.Results Themes reflected reasons for changing contraception which included: both contraceptive and non-contraceptive (4%); relationship/sexual (9%); medical (11%); contraceptive (18%); non-contraceptive (41%). A minority of responses were uncoded (17%). Non-contraceptive effects (effects unrelated to pregnancy prevention) featured most frequently in women's reasons for changing contraception.Conclusions While cessation of various contraceptives due to unwanted side-effects is a well-known phenomenon, this analysis provides evidence of the changing of contraception for its non-contraceptive effects and reframes the notion of ‘side-effects’.