Prevalence of Contraceptive Morbidity in the Slums of Guwahati City in India: A Correspondence Analysis

This paper attempts to study the prevalence of contraceptive morbidity among the slum dweller married women, using Correspondence Analysis Technique. The study is based on a survey conducted during the year 2006 in the slum pockets of Guwahati City. Out of 1350 women interviewed, 767 are ever users of any contraceptive method, with 550 current users, the drop out cases thus numbering to 217. The most commonly used contraception method is tubectomy (36.2%), followed by pill intake (32.5%). Out of the 767 ever users, 181 reported to have faced some complicacy like weight problem, menstrual problems, RTI, general problems like weakness, tiredness, inability to work, unsteadiness, etc. Morbidity is highest (45%) in case of tubectomy. Among the morbid conditions, complications related to menstruation are found to be the highest. Weight problem is the highest among pill in takers. Correspondence analysis showed that contraceptive methods used and the type of complicacy involved is not independent of each other. In the Correspondence Map, proximity of ‘weight problem’ to the contraceptive method ‘pill’ indicates that weight problem is strongly associated with the use of contraceptive pills. Likewise proximity of ‘Condom’ to ‘RTI’ indicates higher frequency of RTI and related problems among condom users.