Power and the gendered division of contraceptive use in Western European couples

Abstract

Recent research has approached contraceptive use, or "fertility work", as another household task that is primarily managed by women. Building on the theoretical frameworks of relative resource theory and gender perspectives, this study investigates the association between partners' power (measured as their relative education, division of housework and decision-making) and the choice of male versus female, or no contraception. Data from the Furthermore, the findings suggest that households in which the man performs more housework or the woman has more say in decisions are more likely to rely on male methods or female sterilization, rather than on the more commonly used female reversible methods.

The role of partner influence in contraceptive adoption, discontinuation, and switching in a nationally representative cohort of Ugandan women

“…They posit that in cases where there is disagreement, the weight of each partner may not be equal in deciding the final reproductive behavior [10]. As such, most research on partner dynamics has primarily examined partners as barriers to contraceptive use, using rationales such as the Theory of Gender and Power, which specifies the potential impact of gender inequities across labor, power, and relationship domains [11]; these inequities have a cascading impact on women's health, including their access to and use of contraception [12,13]. Studies in the United States, and more recently within LMICs, have examined partner-perpetrated reproductive coercion as influencing contraceptive non-use and subsequent unintended pregnancy [14][15][16].…”

The role of couple dynamics in contraception decision-making.

“…Education may be a salient measure of influence and, thus, contribute to the decision-making process. Our findings could add evidence to the partner with more education assuming contraception responsibility or, at the very least, influence the decision due to their health knowledge (Dereuddre et al, 2017). Perhaps, educational attainment dictates when romantic partners turn to one another for guidance or feel empowered to communicate about the options.…”

“…This interactional process of direct communication may not translate to male contraceptive responsibility and communication strategies. Dereuddre et al, 2017 suggesting that contraception decisions are not limited to the dyads' experience of power. Findings show contraceptive choices differ by egalitarian versus hierarchical romantic partnering.…”

“…The Power Rule dictates that the partner with the greater social power and resources will prevail and make more decisions (i.e., often men; Bauer & Kneip, 2013). Generally, hierarchical male power in a relationship is related to a dyadic reliance on female reversible methods, such as birth control pills (Dereuddre et al, 2017). In some situations, the partner in whose sphere of interest a decision is located has a greater influence over their behavior and decisions (i.e., the Sphere-of-Influence Rule).…”

The Gendered Division of Sterilization “Fertility Work:” The Role of Educational and Racial/Ethnic Heterogamy

“…Yet, even with regard to this method of contraception, the female partner is much more likely to do the work; 33% of married or cohabiting female contraceptive users rely on female sterilization for fertility control, as compared with 16% who rely on male sterilization (Eeckhaut & Sweeney, 2016). Such patterns have led researchers to argue that the work associated with navigating a couple’s fertility can be considered another form of household work that “often conforms to a gendered division of labor, with women primarily in charge” (Fennell, 2011, p. 496; see also, e.g., Bertotti, 2013; Dereuddre, Buffel, & Backe, 2017) and to coin this type of work “fertility work” (e.g., Bertotti, 2013, p. 13).…”