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Women
who had decision-making freedom in their parental home carried this ability
with them into marriage in their new home and were better able to negotiate
about their fertility.
PAKISTAN - STUDY - MARRIED YOUNG
WOMEN - DECISION
MAKING SPOUSAL COMMUNICATION, &
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
Saima
Hamid, Rob Stephenson, Birgitta Rubenson
Abstract
Background:
Married young women’s reproductive needs are a challenge in traditional
Pakistani society. The decisions regarding family planning and pregnancy are
controlled by the family, often involving complex negotiations. The current
study was undertaken to explore how young married women’s involvement in the
arrangements surrounding their marriage is associated with their ability to
negotiate sexual and reproductive health decisions in marriage.
Objective:
The study explores the associations between young women’s involvement in their
marriage arrangements and their ability to negotiate for contraceptive use and
fertility decisions.
Methodology:
A subset of 1,803 married young women aged 15-24 years was drawn from a
nationally representative adolescent and youth survey conducted in Pakistan in
2001-2002 by the Population Council. Regression models were fitted to outcomes:
reported agreement with spouse on the number of children to have, current use
of contraceptives, intention to use contraceptives in the future, and the time
elapsed between marriage and first contraceptive use.
Key
covariates of interest were variables that measure the involvement of young
women in their marriage: (a) having a say in selection of spouse, (b) having
met him prior to marriage, and (c) whether he was related to respondent’s
family. Other factors explored were respondents’ mobility outside of household,
social role, and decision making in their homes.
Results:
Having
a say in the selection of a spouse was significantly associated with agreement
with spouse over number of children to have, intention to use contraceptives,
and the time between marriage and first contraceptive use. These relationships
existed after controlling for education, socioeconomic status, mobility outside
of house, and decision making in the home.
Women
who had decision-making freedom in their parental home carried this ability
with them into marriage in their new home and were better able to negotiate
about their fertility.
Published: 11 January 2011
Citation: Global Health Action 2011, 4: 5079 - DOI:
10.3402/gha.v4i0.5079