ASSESSING THE ACCEPTABILITY OF NORPLANT IMPLANTS IN 4 COUNTRIES - FINDINGS FROM FOCUS GROUP RESEARCH

In 1986-87, a qualitative research project was conducted in the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Indonesia, and Thailand to expand understanding of the acceptability of NORPLANT contraceptive implants beyond inferences made on the basis of continuation rates. Results suggest that factors having an impact on the acceptability of NORPLANT implants fall into three general categories; medical/technical, cultural/religious, and informational/educational. This article discusses each of these categories, including programmatic implications of the findings, and puts forward recommendations for enhancing NORPLANT introduction efforts on the basis of these findings. -from Authors