Developing a novel measure of contraceptive access for the Wisconsin PRAMS survey

Leigh G. Senderowicz, University of Wisconsin at Madison
Fiona Weeks, University of Wisconsin-Madison

The goal of increasing access to contraceptive methods drives family planning programs, and yet our ability to measure this construct central to our field is surprisingly poor. Here, we present our efforts to develop a succinct, standardized approach to measuring contraceptive access that can be added to existing population-based monitoring surveys, as well as present data testing this novel metric using in-depth interviews, cognitive interviews, and quantitative surveys. Drawing on our prior work on measuring supply-side and demand-side unmet need, we focus on reasons for non-use as an underappreciated source of data that most reproductive health surveys already collect. We will we focus our presentation on the methodological process of developing this novel metric of contraceptive access based on reasons for non-use and non-preferred method use, utilizing a mixed-methods approach and a strong emphasis on cognitive interviews to develop and define appropriate novel item response categories to existing survey questions. Our preliminary data suggest manifold reasons for contraceptive non-use and for non-preferred contraceptive method use, many related to a lack of desire for contraception and others related to access barriers. Preliminary results suggest this is a promising measurement approach to assess access to contraception without adding substantially to survey burden.

Keywords: Family Planning and Contraception, Mixed methods research, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Data and Methods

See extended abstract.