Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T15:07:03.071Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Factors Associated with Married Iranian Women's Contraceptive Use in Turku, Finland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Filio Degni
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Finland
Ansa Ojanlatva
Affiliation:
Department of Teacher Education and the Institute of Biomedicine for Reproductive and Development Medicine, University of Turku, Finland
Birgitta Essen
Affiliation:
Department of International Maternal and Child Health and the Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Sweden

Abstract

Iranians are one of Finland's major immigrant groups. Like other asylum seekers in Finland, the Iranians brought with them their own cultural practices, attitudes and beliefs regarding marriage and family structure. The aim of this research was to study factors associated with married Iranian women's contraceptive use in Finland. A total of 120 married women with more than one child were interviewed in Turku, a costal city situated about 200km from Helsinki, the capital of Finland. The questionnaires gathered information about the respondents' socio-demographic status, knowledge and use of contraception, number of children, length of time in Finland, education level and other social characteristics. Our research shows that the social factors that are associated with the Iranian women's contraceptive use are mainly due to changes in their conditions of life and adaptation to the Finnish society.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 2010 The International Society for Iranian Studies

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Turpeinen, T., Suomalainen Seksuaalisuuden Bibliografia, 1549–1989 [Finnish Sexual Bibliography, 1549–1989] (Jyväskylä, 1991).Google Scholar

2 Nieminen, A., Taistelu sukupuolimoraalista, avioliito ja seksuaalikyysymyksiä suomalaisen hengenelämän ja yhteiskunnan murroksessa sääty-yhteiskunnan ajoilta 1910 luvulle [Struggle with Gender, Moral, Marriage and Sexual Questions in Finnish Religious Life during the Time of Great Changes when Finnish Society was Divided by Class until 1910] (Porvoo-Helsinki, 1951).Google Scholar

3 Hirvonen, E. and Idänpää-Heikkilä, J., “Cardiovascular Death among Women under 40 Years of Age Using Low-estrogen Oral Contraceptives and Intrauterine Devices in Finland from 1975 to 1984,American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 163 (1990): 281284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

4 A.-L. Kirkkola, ”Family Planning” (PhD Dissertation, Tampere University, Finland, 2004).

5 National Board of Health, Ihmissuhde ja Sukupuolikasvus Terveyskasvatuksessa [Relationship and Gender Education in Health Education], Duo 7032/02/80 (Helsinki, 1980).Google Scholar

6 Rimpel, M.ä, Rimpelä, A. and Kosunen, E., “From Control Policy to Comprehensive Family Planning: Success Stories from Finland,Health Promotion and Education, 3 (1996): 2831.Google Scholar

7 Rehnstr, J.öm, Reproductive Health and Health Care in Finland: An Overview, Theme 10 (Helsinki, 1997).Google Scholar

8 A.-L. Kirkkola, “Family Planning” (PhD Dissertation, Tampere University, Finland, 2004).

9 National Research and Developmentcentre for Welfare and Health, The Development of Family Planning Services up to the Year 2000, Theme 6 (Helsinki, 1994).Google Scholar

10 I. Lotta and O. Kontula, “New Views on Sexual Health: The Case of Finland” (The Family Federation of Finland Series D 37, 2000).

11 Barrie, W. D., eds., Cultural Integration of Immigrants (UNESCO, 1958).Google Scholar

12 Rehnstr, J.öm, Reproductive Health and Health Care in Finland: An Overview, Theme 10 (Helsinki, 1997).Google Scholar

13 F. Degni, “The Social and Cultural Determinants of the Use of Contraception among Married Somali Women Living in Finland” (PhD Dissertation, Stakes Research Report 148, Helsinki, 2004).

14 Morokvasic, M., “Limitation of Births among Yugoslav Women Migrants in France, the Federal Republic of Germany and Sweden,” in Living in Two Cultures: The Social-Cultural Situation of Migrant Workers and their Families (Unesco Press, 1982).Google Scholar

15 Degni, F., Pöntinen, S. and Mölsä, M., “Somali Parents' Experiences of Bringing Up Children in Finland: Exploring Social-Cultural Change within Minorities' Household,Journal Forum Qualitative Social Research, 7, no. 3 (2006): 115.Google Scholar

16 Ministry of Labor, Finland: OECD Sopemi Trends in International Migration (Helsinki, 2003).Google Scholar

17 Information supplied to the authors by Statistics Finland in Helsinki on 19 January 2009 and 3 February 2009.

18 Aghajanian, A., “Population Change in Iran,Population and Development Review, 17 (1991): 703715.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

19 Moore, R., Asyesh, R. and Montagne, R., “Population and Family Planning in Iran,Middle East Journal, 28 (1974): 396408.Google Scholar

20 Aghajanian, A., ”A New Direction in Population Policy and Family Planning in the Islamic Republic of Iran,Asia Pacific Population Journal, 10 (1995): 320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

21 Aghajanian, A., “Status of Women and Female Children: An Update from 1986 Census,” in Women in Post Revolutionary Iran, ed. by Afkhami, M. and Friedl, E. (New York, 1986).Google Scholar

22 J. Cleland and M. Ali, “Quality of Care and Contraceptive Continuation,” Progress of Social Sciences Research in Reproductive Health (1997): 124–138.

23 Aghajanian, A., “A New Direction in Population Policy and Family Planning in the Islamic Republic of Iran,Asia Pacific Population Journal, 10 (1995): 320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

24 Ramezani, T., Khalaj, A. F. F. and Hashemi, M. S., “Factors Influencing Contraceptive Use in Tehran,Family Practitioner, 18 (2001): 204208.Google Scholar

25 Sadat-Hashemi, S. M., Ghorbani, R., Majdabadi, H. A. and Farahani, F. K, “Factors Associated with Contraceptive Use in Tehran, Iran,European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care, 12, no. 2 (2007): 148153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

26 Hardy, E. et al., “Contraceptive Use and Pregnancy Before and After Introduction of Lacttional Amenorrhea in a Postpartum Program,Adv Contracept, 14 (1998): 5968.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

27 A. H. Mehryar and M. Tabibian, “Correlates of Fertility Decline in Iran, 1976–1996,” Working papers Series in English No 15 (Tehran, Institute for Research on Planning and Development, 1997).

28 Ministry of Health and Medical Education, “A Review of Reproductive Health and Family Planning Indicators in the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Mimeographed Monograph (Tehran: Statistics Unit, Office of the Undersecretary of Public Health, Ministry of Health and Medical Education 1998).

29 F. Degni, “The Social and Cultural Determinants of the Use of Contraception among Married Somali Women living in Finland” (PhD Dissertation, Stakes Research Report 148, Helsinki, 2004).

30 Salway, S., “How Attitudes toward Family Planning and discussion between Wives and Husbands affect Contraceptive Use in Ghana,International Family Planning Perspectives, 20, no. 2 (1994): 4474.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

31 Obermeyer, M. C., “Reproductive Choice in Islam: Gender and State in Iran and Tunisia,Studies in Family Planning, 25, no. 1 (1994): 4151.CrossRefGoogle Scholar