Provider Perspectives on Informed Consent in Female Sterilisation Services: Findings from a Facility Based Study in Chennai
Population Council(New Delhi), Health and Population Innovation Fellowship Programme Working Paper, No.3
38 Pages Posted: 17 Oct 2014
Date Written: 2007
Abstract
This paper explores the perceptions and experiences of health care providers with regard to the process of informed consent in the provision of female sterilisation services in Chennai, India. Data is drawn from 38 in-depth interviews with providers from 18 public and private hospitals who provide sterilisation, abortion or contraceptive services. Findings show that most providers give incomplete information on sterilisation as they harbour misconceptions that giving information on alternative methods, associated risks and failures would bring down acceptance rates. Providers themselves reported they were under pressure to recruit acceptors. Consent taking was seen more as a necessary formality than a mechanism to ensure free and informed decisions by women clients. The paper concludes with important programmatic and policy recommendations.
Keywords: Informed Consent, Health Care Providers, Sterilisation, Perceptions, Experiences, Attitudes, Consent forms, Reproductive Health
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