Women's perception about contraceptive use benefits towards empowerment: A phenomenological study in Southern...

Despite the availability of copious information regarding contraceptive use benefits and the factors that influence the uptake of the services, there is little evidence revealing the lived experiences of rural women. Thus, this study was conducted with the purpose of exploring the lived experiences of women regarding contraceptive use and related benefits towards women's empowerment.

Interpretative phenomenological qualitative methodology was employed to explore the lived experiences of women. Data were collected through focus group discussions and in-depth individual interviews and analyzed using an interpretive phenomenological framework including phases of data immersion, transcribing, coding, theme development and phenomenological interpretation through hermeneutic circle.

The reported lived experiences of rural women revealed that their livelihoods greatly improved in different ways after they began to use contraceptives. The benefits included securing more time, energy and social engagements. Contraceptive use helped women postpone unwanted pregnancies and child births and engage in various income generation activities that not only boosted family incomes but also created opportunity to mobilize the resources for different expenses without waiting for the handouts from their husbands. The women's experiences also indicated that contraceptive use improved the educational status of their daughters and they experienced improved self-image, better social standing and improved family relations. The experiences further illustrated that contraceptive use was not only emancipatory and transformative, but also created peace and stability in their lives.

The study concludes that contraceptive use, which is part of a woman's life experience, created remarkable opportunities and achievements. One of these was that women were able to control their bodies, reproduction and fertility which resulted in a higher degree of empowerment. The control of reproduction and fertility has liberated them from worries and entrapment of unplanned and unwanted pregnancies. Moreover, contraceptive use led to wider opportunities in the community, by improving their status and building a sense of empowerment. Creating awareness around the benefits of contraceptive use has the potential to improve community and national development. Based on the result, the study recommends that systems should be established to capitalize on the lessons learned about the lives of current users and expand the remarkable achievements and experiences to non-user counterparts.