Assessing Contraceptive Utilization and Identifying Barriers to Use Among Married Couples in Rural Belagavi, Karnataka, India

Abstract

Introduction: Contraceptive use is essential for controlling population growth, with the couple protection rate (CPR) serving as a key indicator. In India, the CPR for couples aged 15-49 is 53.5%, a decrease from 56.3% over the last decade. Contraceptive methods, such as pills, implants, injectables, IUDs, and sterilization, vary in their effectiveness at preventing unintended pregnancies. Family planning can lower maternal mortality by reducing high-risk births and unsafe abortions, potentially saving 140,000 to 150,000 lives each year.
Material and methods: A cross sectional study research design was adopted for this study. 80 married couples of selected rural area of Belagavi, Karnataka were included in the study. The study included married couple willing to participate in the study and excluded married couple suffering from infertility. The samples were gathered using the purposive sampling technique. The tools used were related to demographic variables and structured questionnaire on utilization and non-utilization of contraceptive methods
Results: Most participants were young, with limited education, and lived in joint families. Contraceptive awareness primarily came from health professionals and media, but knowledge gaps remained. A majority intended to use contraception, though many faced barriers like lack of information, privacy concerns, and inconvenient healthcare access. Contraceptive use was more common among those with more children and lower incomes. Key barriers included lack of knowledge, family preferences, and side effects, which significantly impacted contraception utilization. Addressing these barriers through improved education and accessible healthcare could enhance contraceptive uptake.
Conclusion: The study highlights major obstacles to contraceptive use, such as insufficient knowledge, family preferences, and difficulties accessing contraception. Enhancing education, expanding healthcare access, and improving communication about contraceptive choices could boost the use of family planning methods.