Decision making in the practice of birth control in a rural community

Abstract

This is a study on the decision-making pattern of couples in the use of birth control in a rural community. The study sought to determine: 1. Who the decision-maker is in the couple structure: 2. how the decision to practice was reached by them and 3. what are the basis for the choice of a particular birth control method. Based on the findings it was concluded that for the couples in Brgy. Tuburan, Pototan, Iloilo it was both the husband and the wife who decided that they will practice birth control. This is contrary to the popular notion that it is the husband who decides. It was also found out that the midwife who was at the same time the family planning implementor, played a major role in the decision to practice birth control. Having reached the decision to practice birth control, certain considerations like convenience, effectiveness, no side effects, etc. were taken by the couples in the selection of the method to adopt. It was however found out that the final choice of the method to be used was made by the family planning implementor. It is interesting to note, however, that in the barangay only forty-one couples out of the one hundred seventy have or are practicing birth control. This is attributed to the fact that the family planning implementors failed to get the message across to a larger audience. The mothers' class which was used as a strategy to attract couples to take interest in family planning failed to reach large segment of the population.