Purpose: In a country like Bangladesh that has made great progress in contraceptive use with
one of the lowest levels of fertility and highest levels of contraceptive use, understanding what
factors influence women’s decisions to discontinue a contraceptive method and not switch to a
new method is critical in designing interventions and programs that will help enable Bangladesh
to reach its FP2020 goals. Research on side effects has focused on physical manifestations like
headaches, moodiness, abdominal pain, and menstrual irregularities. While physical effects
alone may stop women from continuing a contraceptive method, less is known about how side
effects influence women’s daily activities and lives. The purpose of this study is to understand
the ways that side effects affect Bangladeshi women’s participation in different social settings.
Methods: Thirty-five in-depth interviews with married women who recently discontinued or
switched to a different contraceptive method were conducted in Sylhet and Khulna Divisions.
Interviews explored reasons for discontinuation including experience of side effects and impact
of side effects on women’s lives.