Women’s experience and perspectives toward genital cosmetic surgery in Erbil city/Iraq: a qualitative study

Exploring the decision-making process of female genital cosmetic procedures in Iranian women and constructing and validating a results-based logic model for a healthy public policy: a study protocol

BACKGROUND

Female genital cosmetic procedures have grown rapidly in most parts of the world. Professional organizations have issued warnings about the complications and long-term consequences of these practices. To be able to adopt the right health policies, it is necessary to know why women decide to perform these procedures. Therefore, the present study will be aim to discover the decision-making process involved in performing female genital cosmetic procedures for Iranian women and construct and validate a results-based logic model for healthy public policy.

METHODS

The present study was conducted in three phases. In the initial phase, a qualitative study will be conducted with the Corbin and Strauss ground theory approach. The participants in the study will be healthy women who desire or have undergone female genital cosmetic procedures without medical indications. In this phase, purposive and theoretical sampling will guide recruitment and data collection. The data will be collected via semi-structured interviews, field notes and observations of individual interactions. The data will be analysed using the approach of Corbin and Strauss (2015). MAXQDA 2007 software was used for managing the process of data analysis. In the second phase, the development of a results-based logic model for a healthy public policy is performed based on the findings of the first phase of the study, interviews with key informants and a review of the results of the literature in this field. Finally, validation of the designed program will be performed by the nominal group technique with the presence of a group of experts in the third phase.

DISCUSSION

The findings of this study, by identifying women's main concerns related to the studied phenomenon, the existing context, participants' reactions and the consequences of the adopted reactions, can be very important in designing a program that fits Iran's cultural characteristics. In this research, a program using a logical model will be presented that is suitable for policymakers, planners and healthcare service providers to be implemented in the social-cultural context of the study.

Perspectives on the side effects of hormonal contraceptives among women of reproductive age in Kitwe district of Zambia: a qualitative explorative study

BACKGROUND

Globally, hormonal contraceptives have proved to be effective in the prevention of unwanted pregnancies. However, despite evidence of the many benefits associated with the use of hormonal contraceptives, concerns related to their safety and side effects have been reported. We conducted a study to explore the perspectives on the side effects of hormonal contraceptives among women of reproductive age in Kitwe district of Zambia.

METHODS

An explorative qualitative study was done among 32 women of reproductive age (18-45 years). Participants were selected conveniently as they accessed family planning services at a designated reproductive, maternal, and child health facility. Data collection was done through in-depth interviews (IDIs). Recruitment of participants and data collection continued until the saturation point was reached. The interviews were recorded, translated, and transcribed verbatim. Data were imported into NVivo.x64 for coding and node generation after which categories and themes were developed manually.

RESULTS

Overall, participants demonstrated a considerable amount of knowledge of family planning, recounting the economic and health benefits as well as demerits of family planning use. The main reasons for discontinuing and switching hormonal contraceptive methods were the desire to get pregnant and the fear of unpleasant side effects, including excessive bleeding or prolonged menstruation, headache, dizziness, lower abdominal/back pain, and weight gain. Most importantly, participants cited concerns about the delay in the resumption of fertility after the termination of contraception and how the side effects disrupted their daily activities at home.

CONCLUSION

There is a need for family planning providers to offer family planning services that address the side effects of hormonal contraceptives during counselling and how women can manage them. Family planning services should adopt a patient-centred approach that takes into consideration the concerns regarding side effects and how this affects the quality of life among women. Also, there is a need to extend family planning services to include scheduled follow-ups and clinical management of contraceptive side effects among women.