Perspectives on the side effects of hormonal contraceptives among women of reproductive age in Kitwe district of Zambia: a qualitative explorative study

BACKGROUND: Globally, hormonal contraceptives have proved to be effective in the prevention of unwanted pregnancies. However, despite evidence of the many benefits associated with the use of hormonal contraceptives, concerns related to their safety and side effects have been reported. We conducted a study to explore the perspectives on the side effects of hormonal contraceptives among women of reproductive age in Kitwe district of Zambia. METHODS: An explorative qualitative study was done among 32 women of reproductive age (18–45 years). Participants were selected conveniently as they accessed family planning services at a designated reproductive, maternal, and child health facility. Data collection was done through in-depth interviews (IDIs). Recruitment of participants and data collection continued until the saturation point was reached. The interviews were recorded, translated, and transcribed verbatim. Data were imported into NVivo.x64 for coding and node generation after which categories and themes were developed manually. RESULTS: Overall, participants demonstrated a considerable amount of knowledge of family planning, recounting the economic and health benefits as well as demerits of family planning use. The main reasons for discontinuing and switching hormonal contraceptive methods were the desire to get pregnant and the fear of unpleasant side effects, including excessive bleeding or prolonged menstruation, headache, dizziness, lower abdominal/back pain, and weight gain. Most importantly, participants cited concerns about the delay in the resumption of fertility after the termination of contraception and how the side effects disrupted their daily activities at home. CONCLUSION: There is a need for family planning providers to offer family planning services that address the side effects of hormonal contraceptives during counselling and how women can manage them. Family planning services should adopt a patient-centred approach that takes into consideration the concerns regarding side effects and how this affects the quality of life among women. Also, there is a need to extend family planning services to include scheduled follow-ups and clinical management of contraceptive side effects among women. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12905-023-02561-3.