Negotiating Reproductive Outcomes in Uganda

The Negotiating Reproductive Outcomes study was conducted in the Masaka and Lira districts of Uganda to determine: how reproductive decisions and outcomes are negotiated within sexual unions; which individual household and community characteristics influence negotiation; and how womens status influences their ability to negotiate outcomes. Data collection began in January 1995 and involved a focus group and a survey of 1750 women 20-44 years old and 1356 of their male partners. Separate estimates were made for rural and urban areas within each district. The first chapter of this report provides background information on the study objectives and methodology. Chapter 2 describes the socioeconomic context in the districts. Chapter 3 presents results about negotiating contraceptive use in terms of current knowledge and use reasons for use and nonuse negotiating family planning (FP) with partner and others and concurrence and secret use. Chapter 4 covers negotiations about the number and spacing of children including the ideal number of children and sex balance discussions about spacing and limiting with others nonverbal negotiation evolution of preferences and resolution of conflict. Chapter 5 discusses negotiation of sexual behavior and condom use through a look at sexual norms communication about sex negotiating sex knowledge of AIDS prevention and negotiating condom use. Major conclusions are that couples do negotiate reproductive outcomes that much communication is nonverbal and subject to misinterpretation that men want FP because of economic concerns whereas women also have health concerns and that womens vulnerable status curtails their ability to negotiate and gives men greater authority over reproductive decisions.