Dr Sandra Frans2, Dr Shita Dewi2, Ms Utsamani Cintyamena2, Dr Ariane Utomo3
2Center for Health Policy and Management, Universitas Gadjah Mada , Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 3School of Geography, University of Melbourne
A recent programmatic shift in the provision of reproductive health services in the Global South has led to a renewed interest in post partum family planning (PPFP). The WHO (2013) states that post partum family planning focuses on the prevention of unintended and closely spaced pregnancies in the first 12 months after childbirth; the latter is associated with increase risks of both child and maternal mortality. In this paper, we examine key factors that shape women’s knowledge, attitudes and practice of post-partum family planning in Central Java. We use qualitative data drawn from a case study conducted in Banyumas – a district with historically high levels of maternal mortality rates. We gathered data through four focus group discussions conducted with pregnant women and with women who had at least one child aged less than 1 year old, as well as from in-depth interviews with health service providers. Our findings demonstrate how the women’s social and familial networks, their agency in marriage, their interaction with health care providers, and national policy changes concerning reproductive health and health insurance schemes, shape the extent to which their right to information and choice regarding postpartum fertility options can be fulfilled.
Biography:
Sandra Frans is a Researcher at the Center for Health Policy and Management, Universitas Gadjah Mada, specializing on family planning, adolescent health, and immunization uptake in Indonesia. She holds a Master in Public Health from the University of Melbourne, and was a GP in her hometown, Soe, East Nusa Tenggara.
Ariane Utomo is a Lecturer in Demography at the School of Geography, The University of Melbourne. Her work examines how social change are reflected in attitudes to gender roles, school-to- work transition, women’s employment, marriage and the family, and the nature of inequalities and social stratification in Indonesia.