Advocating for Self: Women's Decisions Concerning Contraception (Haworth Innovations in Feminist Studies)

In Advocating for Self, Peggy Matteson gives voice to women who describe the joys and concerns of many years of contraceptive use. The author held open-ended interviews with 40 women who represent contraceptive use for a combined 310 years! These women reveal how, when their contraceptive decisions are looked at as a way for women to advocate for themselves, their choices become clearer and their chosen method of contraception more effective.

Educators, health care providers, and women about to choose a contraceptive method would do well to listen to how these women evaluated their contraceptive choices. They reveal much about choosing a contraceptive method, especially how education and support is needed to make their choices work in real life. Some of the main topics they cover include:

• the process of choosing to actually implement a contraceptive option
• how women explore and choose a contraceptive option
• women's personalizing of pregnancy risk
• the ramifications of contraceptive use and how women deal with them
• how women contend with use-effectiveness
  
  A variety of women readers, nurses, and counselors can find insight in Advocating for Self on decisions surrounding contraceptive use. Its unique focus is specifically suited for those women who are in the process of choosing a contraceptive method or those who may do so in the future.