A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF USERS OF NORPLANT IN ENGLAND AND INDONESIA - A STUDENT ELECTIVE PROJECT

Objective: To asssess the kind of woman who chooses to use a long acting implant contraceptive in England and make subjective comparisons between these women and those choosing implant contraceptives in Indonesia. Design: Confidential written questionnaire Comprising 19 questions designed to assess socio-economic status, religious beliefs and contraceptive preferences. Setting: Two family planning clinics; one at Birmingham Maternity Hospital, England (BMH), the other at Raden Saleh Klinik, Jakarta, Indonesia (RSK). Subjects: Seventy women answered the questionnaire at BMH over the period October to December 1993. Forty four women answered the questionnaire at RSK over the period March 17 to May 6 1994. Results: We managed to attain an almost 100 per cent response rate from the women at BMH by being present at the clinics, each of which consisted of a few women at a time. The response rate at RSK was impossible to assess as it was not possible to be present at every clinic. Therefore, we do not know how many women refused to complete the questionnaire there. The results showed that there were differences in the socio-economic class of the two groups with the BMH group being predominantly social groups I-IIIN (57 per cent) whilst the RSK group were predominantly groups IV-V (66 per cent). Differences were also seen with respect to whether the women planned to have more children; 86 per cent of the RSK women answered 'no' compared to only 53 per cent of the BMH women. Analysis: Relevant percentages have been calculated and the results displayed as either bar charts or pie charts. Conclusion: English women who choose implant contraception would appear to be slightly older, Caucasian and from social class I, II, or IIIN. In general they are women who already have children and who are either looking to space their families or who are not planning anymore children but who do not want to undergo sterilisation.