The Government of Uttar Pradesh (GoUP) is committed to ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3.7). The state’s Vision 2030 document sets the family planning (FP) goals as satisfying 75% of contraceptive demand by modern methods and attaining a modern contraceptive prevalence rate (mCPR) of 52% by 2030.
The data from the National Family Health Surveys also show a notable increase in mCPR, from 32% in NFHS-4 to 45% in NFHS-5, in Uttar Pradesh (UP). However, the use of traditional methods (TM) also increased from 14% in NFHS-4 to 18% in NFHS-5. While the expansion of modern contraceptives is encouraging, understanding the increasing reliance on TM becomes crucial. Hence, the UP TSU, in consultation with GoUP, conducted a qualitative exploration to understand the factors driving the adoption and sustained use of TM.
The study involved in-depth interviews with the currently married women of reproductive age (CMWRA), who were consistent TM users or switched between traditional and modern methods, their husbands, mothers-in-law, and frontline workers from four districts of UP with varied TM use (Saharanpur, Gonda, Mirzapur and Jhansi).
The study found that normative acceptance of TM in CMWRA’s immediate network, clear understanding around their effect, and their positioning as ‘natural methods’ enabled TM adoption and continuation. Contrarily, modern methods were seen as external methods with complexities associated with their exposure, adoption and adherence, deterring their adoption.
The study highlights the need for tailored interventions as per the CMWRA’s FP needs across different parities. This encompasses leveraging existing platforms such as saas-bahu-beta sammelans to engage young and low parity women, improving sterilisation services to support higher parity women, enhance outreach, and ensure access to accurate information on and access to a full range of FP choices, thereby empowering women to make informed reproductive choices.
