Abstract

Adou Serge Judicaël ANOUA, Kouamé Frédéric SIGNO and Meless Siméon AKMEL, Koffi David ZOUZOU

Family planning has low utilization in Côte d'Ivoire. It is important to note the factors that hinder the objectives set by the Ivorian State in this area. This research aims to shed light on the social representations of family planning in rural areas in order to understand these resistance factors using the example of the Baoulé group in Djebonoua. This is qualitative research with an informative objective in the field of family planning. One midwife and six elderly women caregivers were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Two focus groups were conducted with two different groups of twelve women and twelve men living in couples. The use of this information was based on content analysis. The recourse explanatory model was supported by the theory of personal constructs. We noted that the absence of family planning in cultural obstetrics, the contradictory perception of modern contraceptives and the negative reaction of men in the couple to contraception were the factors of resistance to family planning in the Baoulé group of Djebonoua. Appropriate preventive actions such as behaviour change communication are considered. These educational activities in the population would focus on knowledge of contraceptive products and adherence to prescribed family planning regimes for reproductive health.