Prospects and Barriers in Promotion of Injectable Contraceptives from Provider’s Perspective: A Qualitative Exploration

Puspita Datta, Population Services International, India
Kaliprosad Roy, Population Services International, India

Although Injectable contraceptives (ICs) have been approved for commercial sale in India by the Drugs Controller General of India since 1993, ICs are one of the least used methods of contraception in India. This study attempts to explore provider’s barriers and attitude towards IC. Mystery shopping and in-depth-interview techniques were adopted for the qualitative survey. As ICs have to be made available to the population through chemists, the study captures their perception too. A SWAT analysis has been carried out on the qualitative data. Findings suggest that the awareness is high regarding ICs among the providers, but they are lacking proper orientation on the side effect management of the IC. However, the other non-contraceptive benefits of the IC use apart from its usage as family planning method indicates possibility of successful promotion and spread of IC use in India, even in a high fertility state like Bihar.