"Nobody's Ever Told Me That:" Women's Experiences with Shared Decision-making when Accessing Contraception

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Contraception Research
• Patient Decision-Making

Background:

• Unintended pregnancies are common in the U.S., highlighting the need for effective contraception.
• Shared decision-making is a best practice in healthcare, potentially applicable to contraceptive choices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine women's experiences with shared decision-making in contraceptive use.
• To explore reproductive-aged women's contraceptive decision-making processes.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study analyzing 38 interviews with women aged 19-50.
• Constant comparative data analysis using HyperRESEARCH software.
• Shared decision-making served as the conceptual framework.

Main Results:

• Participants had knowledge gaps regarding contraceptive method effectiveness.
• Women desired more options but were not always actively involved in contraceptive selection.
• Nuanced beliefs indicated a preference for patient-provider communication aligned with lifestyle needs.

Conclusions:

• Shared decision-making can empower women to make informed, lifestyle-appropriate contraceptive choices.
• Recommendations are provided to enhance shared decision-making in contraceptive consultations.
• Improving patient-provider communication is key to effective family planning.