Table 3.

Perceived reasons for husband’s objection to family planning

Husbands’ objection	Participant comments
He would like more children	They don’t use family planning because their husbands forbid it or because their husbands want to have children.a
He is worried about infidelity	Some women don’t [use contraception] because their husbands are very jealous. They can’t because their husband sometimes thinks that because the woman is using a method, she can go with any man.a
He feels uncomfortable with the method	He didn’t want to [use a condom] because he said he didn’t like it. So, like, the first day we used a condom and he felt uncomfortable. And I told him to get used to it, and it was like that until he got used to it.
He has concern about infertility	Because he’s scared that maybe one day he is going to want another child and all of a sudden it won’t be possible. He started to tell me “oh no, because that would be injections, but with that you can’t have any children, and I would like to have five children.”
He has a fear of God	We have thought about using [contraceptive] methods, but at the same time it makes us feel bad and scared, for fear of God … [P] Have you talked about this fear of God with other women? [I] No, with no one, only with my husband … [P] And what does your husband think? [I] He pretty much disagrees … [P] So, do you think you could still use methods, or maybe not? [I] Maybe not. [P] Because your husband is against it because of this fear of God? [I] Uhum, yes, that’s how it is. [P]

Note: [P] refers to the participant, [I] refers to the interviewer and

^arefers to paraphrased responses.