To improve understanding of the role SI can play in promoting empowered contraceptive decision-making and autonomy (Aim 3), our team developed and validated a new measure of “contraceptive agency” in Nigeria and Uganda. We are currently conducting a longitudinal cohort study in Uganda including a baseline and two follow-up surveys (at six and twelve months) to assess whether choosing SI is associated with greater increases in contraceptive agency over time compared to choosing other contraceptive methods.
Our team created a new contraceptive agency construct to capture the degree to which women are able to form consciousness of contraceptive rights, and form and act on contraceptive preferences. Our measure development included three main stages:
- We developed Contraceptive Agency measurement framework and construct definition
- We then conducted 80 cognitive interviews (40 in Nigeria, 40 in Uganda) to refine item pool
- We validated the measure using pooled data from client exit interview data in Nigeria and baseline quant cohort data in Uganda