Intermittent Needs for Family Planning among Women with an Internal Migrant Husband in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study

Bangladesh is one of the major labour-exporting countries in the world, with large-scale labour migration flows occurring both internationally and domestically. Spousal separation due to migration has the potential to disrupt women’s ability to use contraception in line with their reproductive goals. This qualitative study complements the 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) data; we conducted in-depth interviews with a sub-sample of 23 BDHS respondents whose husbands stayed elsewhere but returned at least once a year to Barisal Division, Bangladesh. The study explores how husbands’ migration patterns influence couples’ fertility intentions, contraceptive decision-making and behaviour, and unintended pregnancies. Results showed that contraceptive use was high among the study participants, with nearly all couples using some method to avoid pregnancy – usually pills and condoms. However, the use was episodic and inconsistent, reducing effectiveness. Experiences of side effects were commonplace, which contributed to this pattern of inconsistent use: women used pills only during the duration of their husband’s visits. Half of the informants experienced unintended pregnancies either due to the inconsistent use of pills or other method failures. The study findings indicate that women with migrant husbands need family planning education related to their particular circumstances and access to a wider range of family planning choices. Quality counselling should respect women’s experiences with side effects and include thorough discussion of viable alternatives.