CONTRACEPTIVE AWARENESS AMONG MARRIED PREGNANT WOMEN FROM URBAN AND RURAL AREAS ATTENDING ANTENATAL CLINIC IN A TERTIARY HOSPITAL IN WEST BENGAL

BACKGROUND Our hospital CSS College of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Child Health, Kolkata is a tertiary referral centre and a teaching hospital and caters to around 65% of the urban and 35% of the rural population. Aim: This led us to study the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding contraception among married pregnant women attending antenatal clinic and further counsel them regarding future contraception during the antenatal period. MATERIALS AND METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted in the outpatient department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in patients attending antenatal clinic for the first time from May 2018 to July 2018. Out of 400 patients, 350 patients gave the consent to fill up the questionnaire form. Out of 350 women, 230 (65.7%) belonged to the urban group and 120 (34.3%) belonged to the rural group. Regarding education level, 6.6% females were uneducated in the rural group and 4.7% women were uneducated in the urban group. It was seen that 15% in the rural group and 11.7% in the urban group were not using contraception. The unmet need of contraception was 11% in rural group and 9% in urban group. The unmet need was more in the uneducated women in both groups and in low socioeconomic status. The level of higher education level in urban group showed more confidence in natural methods of contraception. There was also less acceptability of contraceptive methods like pills in urban population. Study Design-Questionnaire based. RESULTS It was seen that 15% in the rural group and 11.7% in the urban group were not using contraception. The unmet need of contraception was 11% in rural group and 9% in urban group. The unmet need was more in the uneducated women in both groups and in low socioeconomic status. The level of higher education level in urban group showed more confidence in natural methods of contraception. There was also less acceptability of contraceptive methods like pills in urban population. CONCLUSION The unmet need can be improved in both populations by increasing knowledge and availability of more effective methods of contraception for spacing of pregnancies. Women should be given liberty in choosing an appropriate method and both the husband and wife should be included in counselling. Methods to reduce population explosion along with healthy mother and child have been recently focused on birth spacing. Since 99% of deliveries are institutional, advantage of creating awareness, proper and effective counselling regarding contraception should be provided during her antenatal visits.