The ‘natural’ body, God and contraceptive use in the southeastern United States

Abstract

Data collected among African-American and Caucasian women and men in the southeastern USA indicate that participants' perceptions of nature, God's will and the human body influence reproductive health and decision-making. Attitudes about the health care system, pharmaceutical companies and government programmes for fertility regulation reinforce these views and may negatively affect willingness to use contraceptive methods consistently and correctly.

Reasons for Unprotected Intercourse in Adult Women

“…306 18 identified the "unnaturalness" of contraception as a reason for unprotected intercourse. Contraception was also described as foreign or invasive 30 and some women in the study by Woodsong et al 31 stated that "the retention of blood when using hormones" was worrisome. Some women stated they were embarrassed to purchase contraceptives.…”

“…Religious objection to contraceptive use was identified by several studies. 16,17,22 Woodsong et al 31 identified a general belief among a largely African American population that pharmaceutical corporations and the healthcare systems were untrustworthy and were more concerned about financial gain than individuals' health.…”

“…A commonly reported reason for unprotected intercourse was that women believed they were at low risk for pregnancy. This included women who thought they or their partners were infertile, 17,20,23,28,29,31 as well as women who thought they were not ovulating (i.e., a "safe" day). 29 Other reasons included being too old to become pregnant, 17 breastfeeding, 17,21 and infrequent sexual activity.…”

“…Contraceptive side effects or fear of side effects was one of the reasons cited in most of the studies. [16][17][18][25][26][27]30,31 Concerns included immediate effects and longterm health risks, such as sterility and cancer. Women cited irregular bleeding, weight gain, headaches, nausea, vomiting, hair loss, dizziness, weight loss, breast enlargement, acne, leg pain, varicose veins, bloated feelings, low energy, depression, stress, and mood changes.…”

Internal or Infernal Devices: Experiences of Contraception Among Australian Women Living With Hepatitis C

“…In keeping with women elsewhere our participants were concerned about their fertility. Some also expressed a fatalistic view of pregnancy, in a similar fashion to some Southern American women who viewed pregnancy as God's will (Woodsong, Shedlin, & Koo, 2004).…”