What Women Want: A Qualitative Study of Contraception in Jail

Abstract

Contraception at the jail must be provided by trusted medical providers delivering high quality care with the goal of allowing women to control their own fertility; this would ensure that women could access birth control and cease using birth control when desired.

Long‐Acting Reversible Contraceptives for Incarcerated Women: Feasibility and Safety of On‐Site Provision

“…It is possible that getting released from jail, or getting rearrested, may influence a woman's thinking about her future reproduction and her wishes to avoid or pursue pregnancy. For example, some women after reentry into the community may decide they want to get pregnant because of the stability they believe a child will bring to their lives, while some women entering jail may be thinking about their eventual reentry and considering pregnancy in a similar light …”

“…One is to focus on women's reproductive life planning goals, rather than solely on which birth control method to choose. Indeed, some incarcerated women may desire a pregnancy upon release . A reproductive life counseling approach would enable the clinician to talk to such women about planning for healthy pregnancies, including discussing treatment for drug and alcohol abuse, which is common among this population.…”

Women's Contraceptive Perceptions, Beliefs, and Attitudes: An Integrative Review of Qualitative Research

“…Ten studies examined the interplay of power between women and their health care providers . Women often considered the opinions of their health care providers in relation to their own family planning, including the provider's preferences over the placement or removal of long‐acting contraception and how many children to have .…”

“…When women were selecting a contraceptive method after the birth of a child, health care providers were often perceived as coercive in their discussion of contraceptive options . Homeless or imprisoned women and transgender individuals vocalized poor treatment and marginalization by health care providers . One study used the term knowledge asymmetry to describe the power dynamic of contraceptive and health care knowledge that existed between the health care provider and the patient.…”

“…Ten studies examined the interplay of power between women and their health care providers. 19,21,22,25,30,31,[33][34][35][36] Women often considered the opinions of their health care providers in relation to their own family planning, including the provider's preferences over the placement or removal of long-acting contraception and how many children to have. 29,31 For many women, the necessity of obtaining the approval of the health care provider to obtain sterilization was a barrier to care.…”