Mother In Law Research Articles

Social realities in remote villages: Infant and young child feeding in Kirewa, Uganda.

Understanding infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices in Africa requires an examination of the social context. Social relationships influence people through mechanisms such as social support, social influence, social engagement, access to resources and negative social interactions. This study explores how these mechanisms manifest in IYCF in remote villages in Uganda. In 2018, we conducted two focus group discussions each with mothers, fathers and grandparents, ande interviews with two clan leaders, six village health teamers (VHT) and four healthcare workers (HCW). We deductively searched the data for any indications of elements that could influence child feeding and health using the psychosocial mechanisms of social support, social influence, social engagement, access to resources and negative social interactions as the broader themes. The manifestation of social support involved practical help from mothers-in-law (MIL), financial contributions from fathers, and informational, instrumental, emotional and appraisal support from VHTs. Social influence by MILs mainly concerned the transmission of food-related beliefs and pressure to have many children. The social engagement of young mothers was restricted. Access to resources was stratified and affected by poverty, patriarchy, and knowledge of HCWs and VHTs. Negative social interactions included physical abuse, alcoholism, and fear-based relationships. We found the different psychosocial mechanisms to construct a useful framework for describing the social reality surrounding IYCF. Changing attitudes towards family planning, involving fathers in IYCF, and strengthening the position of VHTs as family advisers can potentially improve IYCF in rural Uganda.

Generational trends in the transition to womanhood in lowland rural Nepal: Changes in the meaning of early marriage.

In South Asia, studies show secular trends toward slightly later women's marriage and first reproduction. However, data on related biological and social events, such as menarche and age of coresidence with husband, are often missing from these analyses. We assessed generational trends in key life events marking the transition to womanhood in rural lowland Nepal. We used data on 110 co-resident mother-in-law (MIL) and daughter-in-law (DIL) dyads. We used paired t-tests and chi-squared tests to evaluate generational trends in women's education, and mean age at menarche, marriage, cohabitation with husband, and first reproduction of MIL and DIL dyads. We examined norms held by MILs and DILs on a daughter's life opportunities. On average, MIL was 29 years older than DIL (60 years vs. 31 years). Both groups experienced menarche at average age 13.8 years. MIL was married at average 12.4 years, before menarche, and cohabitated with husbands at average 14.8 years. DIL was simultaneously married and cohabitated with husbands after menarche, at average 15 years. DIL was marginally more educated than MIL but had their first child on average 0.8 years earlier (95% CI -1.4, -0.1). MIL and DIL held similar norms on daughters' education and marriage. While social norms remain similar, the meaning of "early marriage" and use of menarche in marriage decisions has changed in rural lowland Nepal. Compared to DIL, MIL who was married earlier transitioned to womanhood more gradually. However, DIL was still married young, and had an accelerated trajectory to childbearing.

Sociolinguistics Study of Swear Words Found in Songs from Album “The Sailor” 2019 by Rich Brian

This research examines the use of swear words found in the lyrics of songs from album “The Sailor” 2019 by Rich Brian. It employs qualitative analysis to categorize and explore swear words, using frameworks by Wardhaugh (2006) for classification and Rothwell (1973) for purposes. Seven profanity categories are identified as mother in-law, animal, sex, death, excretion, bodily function, and religious matters. The study uncovers five purposes for profanity use in the songs: to get attention, to discredit someone or something, to provoke, to create interpersonal identification, to provide catharsis. Analyzing 89 instances, 11 profanity types are found, with "fuck" being most frequent (35 times). The prevalent purpose is to “provide catharsis.” Swear words’ presence underscores its societal significance, revealing diverse meanings based on users and contexts. This research illuminates sociolinguistic aspects of rap songs and swear words’ role in today's society.

Swear Words From the Indramayu Javanese-Indonesia in the Novel Aib dan Nasib

Swear words are impolite words or words that make other people offended or get angry. Every region has its’ own particular swear words, especially in Indramayu. The swear words used by the Javanese people of Indramayu have various types and functions. Therefore, this study describes the types and functions of Indramayu Javanese swear words in the novel Aib dan Nasib by Minanto. The result reported nine types of swear words in the novel Aib and Nasib by Minanto. They are 1) excretion in the word of tahi; 2) death in the word of mampus; 3) body function term in the word of kontol, memek, endas, kuping; 4) religious term in the word of dedemit, setan; 5) mother in law in the word of telembuk, lonte, perung, jalang; 6) sex term in the word of ngentot, rabenan; 7) animal term in the word of kirik, ketek; 8) imbecilic term in the word of dungu, goblok, koplok, cecunguk, campleng; 9) general term in the word of, sinting, lancang, bangsat. Meanwhile, the functions of those swear words in the novel Aib dan Nasib by Minanto are: to create attention; to discredit; to provoke; to create interpersonal identification; and to provide catharsis.

Spiritual Humanism in Devkota’s Muna-Madan

Devkota seeks spiritual humanism in order to restore moral, ethical and spiritual values in human beings. For him, the relationships between man and man, man and nature and man and God are vital. As a spiritual humanist, he focuses on acts of love and sacrifice for the good of humanity. According to him, this human world is to be guided by the universal spirit of God, the basis of spiritual humanism. He believes that God is present everywhere. Human beings have to realize it. Only spiritually motivated souls can sacrifice themselves for others. Devkota projects his ideas of Spiritual Humanism in Muna-Madan. He shows his tremendous reverence towards gods and goddesses because the marginalized and downtrodden people receive solace and living hope from God. Devkota believes that spiritually motivated people are compassionate and merciful towards fellow beings. Muna and her mother in-law unconditionally love Almighty God for their ultimate salvation from worldly sufferings. The Bhote (a pejorative term for a Tibetan man) shows an excellent example of humanity by helping an unknown person Madan. This paper highlights Devkota’s philosophy of spiritual humanism in Muna Madan.

Lexical units nominating women in the paremias about the gender inequality of the Russian language

Russian linguistic and cultural community gender stereotypes reflecting the inequality between men and women in the Russian linguistic and cultural community, verbalized by the paremias of the Russian language; the subject of the study are such nominating components as "woman", "wife", "daughter", "mother—in-law". The material under study forms part of the national picture of the world, of which the paremic corpus is a part. Special attention is paid to the verbalization of gender stereotypes in the studied parodies. The aim of the study is to describe the lexical units that nominate women and are used as part of the Russian language related thematically to the linguistic markers of gender inequality. The relevance of this study is determined by both linguistic and extralinguistic parameters. The first group includes an interest in the linguistic and cultural analysis of the paremiological fund, including in a comparative aspect. The second group of factors includes a social demand to satisfy the need to understand the mentality of representatives of the Russian linguistic culture. The following methods were used in this article: systematization, generalization, description, semantic analysis, conceptual analysis, linguistic and cultural analysis. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that for the first time it presents in a generalized form gender stereotypes that take place in the Russian language community and which are verbalized in paremias with nominating components "woman", "wife", "daughter", "mother-in-law", indicating a social role of a woman (wife, mother, mother-in-law, daughter). The main conclusions of the study are the following : historically, the Russian linguistic and cultural community has developed a pejorative view of a woman as a member of society. Russian language parodies with such nominating components as "woman", "wife", "daughter", "mother-in-law" most often actualize negative connotations that are expressed at the explicit level. This is confirmed by currently existing Russian gender studies, which show that there are certain patterns of male and female verbal behavior in the Russian language, the differences in which are probabilistic in nature.

GC-MS validated phytochemical up-leveling with in vitro-raised Sansevieria trifasciata [Prain]: The Mother in Law’s tongue gets more antibacterial

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a critical global health challenge, jeopardizing the efficacy of infectious disease treatments and necessitating innovative solutions. The exploration of plants, renowned for their wealth of bioactive compounds, as sustainable sources of antimicrobials is gaining momentum. Sansevieria, a succulent plant genus, boasts ornamental, medicinal, and pollution-remediating attributes owing to its phytochemical richness. Notably, specific species exhibit inherent antimicrobial properties, positioning them as promising reservoirs of alternative antimicrobial agents. Efficient cultivation methods are imperative for the economically viable production of Sansevierias with potential medicinal benefits. In addressing this need, in vitro micropropagation emerges as a strategic solution, enabling mass multiplication and germplasm conservation. Leveraging our previous success in achieving efficient in vitro regeneration of Sansevieria trifasciata through elevated temperatures and auxin supplementation, we present a novel PTC-assisted antimicrobial elicitation platform. This innovative approach resulted in significantly augmented biomass production, heightened concentrations of potent phytochemicals, and increased antibacterial activity in tissue extracts compared to their field-grown counterparts. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) profiling confirmed the upregulation of phytochemicals known for their antibacterial efficacy. Notably, Citronellol, 7,8-Epoxylanostan-11-ol, 3-acetoxy, and several new compounds were markedly elevated in PTC-raised Sansevieria trifasciata. Our study furnishes compelling evidence for the efficacy of in vitro techniques in enhancing the growth and phytochemical profiles of Sansevieria plants. This opens new avenues for their commercial production, particularly in addressing the challenges posed by antimicrobial resistance. Importantly, this study represents the first exploration of phytochemical bioprospecting in the Sansevieria genus through in vitro tissue culture endeavors.

Examining the influence of Mother-in-law on family planning use in South Asia: insights from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan

BackgroundContraceptive use contributes to improved maternal and child health, education, empowerment of women, slow population growth, and economic development. The role of the family in influencing women’s health and health-seeking behavior is undergoing significant changes, owing to higher education, media exposure, and numerous government initiatives, in addition to women’s enhanced agency across South Asia. Against this backdrop, this study assesses the relationship between women’s living arrangements and contraceptive methods used in selected south Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh).MethodsData of currently married women aged 15–49 from the recent round of Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) of four South Asian countries, i.e., Nepal (2016), Pakistan (2017–18), Bangladesh (2017–18), and India (2019–21) had been used. Bivariate and multinomial logistic regression was performed using Stata with a 5% significance level.ResultsLiving arrangement of women had a significant association with contraceptive use in South Asia. The Mother-in-law (MIL) influenced the contraceptive method used by the Daughter-in-law (DIL), albeit a country-specific method choice. Modern limiting methods were significantly higher among women living with MIL in India. The use of the modern spacing method was considerably high among women co-residing with husband and/or unmarried child(ren) and MIL in Nepal and India. In Bangladesh, women living with husband and other family member including MIL were more likely to use modern spacing methods.. Women co-residing with the MIL had a higher likelihood of using any traditional contraceptive method in India.ConclusionsThe study suggests family planning program to cover MIL for enhancing their understanding on the benefits of contraceptive use and modifying norms around fertility. Strengthening the interaction between the grassroots level health workers and the MIL, enhancing social network of DIL may help informed choice and enhance the use of modern spacing methods. Women’s family planning demands met with modern contraception, and informed contraceptive choices, must also be achieved to reach the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Opportunities and barriers for maternal nutrition behavior change: an in-depth qualitative analysis of pregnant women and their families in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Maternal undernutrition during pregnancy remains a critical public health issue in India. While evidence-based interventions exist, poor program implementation and limited uptake of behavior change interventions make addressing undernutrition complex. To address this challenge, Alive & Thrive implemented interventions to strengthen interpersonal counseling, micronutrient supplement provision, and community mobilization through the government antenatal care (ANC) platform in Uttar Pradesh, India. This qualitative study aimed to: (1) examine pregnant women's experiences of key nutrition-related behaviors (ANC attendance, consuming a diverse diet, supplement intake, weight gain monitoring, and breastfeeding intentions); (2) examine the influence of family members on these behaviors; and (3) identify key facilitators and barriers that affect behavioral adoption. We conducted a qualitative study with in-depth interviews with 24 pregnant women, 13 husbands, and 15 mothers-in-law (MIL). We analyzed data through a thematic approach using the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) framework. For ANC checkups and maternal weight gain monitoring, key facilitators were frontline worker home visits, convenient transportation, and family support, while the primary barrier was low motivation and lack understanding of the importance of ANC checkups. For dietary diversity, there was high reported capability (knowledge related to the key behavior) and most family members were aware of key recommendations; however, structural opportunity barriers (financial strain, lack of food availability and accessibility) prevented behavioral change. Opportunity ranked high for iron and folic acid supplement (IFA) intake, but was not consistently consumed due to side effects. Conversely, lack of supply was the largest barrier for calcium supplement intake. For breastfeeding, there was low overall capability and several participants described receiving inaccurate counseling messages. Key drivers of maternal nutrition behavior adoption were indicator specific and varied across the capability-opportunity-motivation behavior change spectrum. Findings from this study can help to strengthen future program effectiveness by identifying specific areas of program improvement.

HIDDEN HURT – UNTOLD STORY OF A WOMB. A STUDY ON PREVELANCE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN PREGNANCY IN A RURAL MEDICAL COLLEGE, KARNATAKA.

Domestic violence is threatening behaviour, violence, or abuse between adults who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members. Such abuse may take various forms, including physical violence, sexual violence, emotionally abusive behaviours, economic restrictions, and other controlling behaviours. Domestic violence is a common worldwide phenomenon. We conducted this study with the aims 1. To know the prevalence of domestic violence in pregnancy. 2. To know the type of domestic violence in pregnancy. 3. To know the perpetrator of domestic violence in pregnancy. This is a cross-sectional, questionnaire based study conducted in the setting of a medical college and hospital predominantly catering the health needs of the rural population. Pregnant women attending antenatal clinic, who were willing to participate were included in the study. Condentiality and modesty of participants were maintained throughout the study. Data was collected from the participants in a private counseling room. Data thus obtained was analyzed using descriptive statistics. This study had 200 participants, Out of which 12 (6%) participants reported to have experienced violence. 10 (5%) participants experienced physical violence, 9 (4.5%) participants experiences psychological violence, 1 ( 0.5%) experienced sexual violence. 9 (4.5%) of our participants experienced violence from husband and 3 (1.5%) experience violence from mother in law. We concluded that domestic violence in pregnancy is still prevalent in the modern era. Any type of violence in pregnancy should alert clinician and stake holders to take necessary action in prevention of the same. Psychological counselling should be a part of antenatal care.

Mothers in Law

A Review of Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality. By Tomiko Brown-Nagin.

The Lecture of Father Jungchan Jean Kim during the Mass (Tcheonzamun 001st-016th)

French missionary Dallet (1874) wrote about ‘The thousand character essay’. And ‘The thousand character essay’, it is called as Tcheonzamun in Korea. (Park et al, 2021a) and (Park et al, 2021b) translated several Tcheonzamun poems. And there were two methods for the present researcher for the translation of ‘The thousand character essay’. The first one is through Korean pronunciation of Chinese character, and the second one is through the meaning of Chinese character of Tcheonzamun. The range of this study was (Tcheonzamun 001st-016th). The title of this work is ‘The lecture of Father Jungchan Jean Kim during the Mass’. < Number in Tcheonzamun Chinese characters (the pronunciation on Korean language and written in English alphabet)> 013-016 辰(Zin) 宿(Sug) 列(Yeol) 張(Zang) The writer of Tcheonzamun seems to say to me, Augustin. “Please do not be in the indifferent state (列) for the world!” “Please see your wife Hyeonhi! And you also, do as she does your wife! She is interesting for the affairs outside in the world (張)! She has the eyes intelligent, and she has a balanced and powerful attitude in her body, in her feet, and in her hands. And then, for you also, splendid stars will appear in your mind one and two, and more and more (辰). At last, all of your mind and the whole world will become bright (宿). The professor of Tcheonzamum seems to speak to me “Augustin, look on the bright side! Even though you are weak now, I am very proud of you! Be courageous!” These sayings of the writer of Tcheonzamum seems to me Augustin as if my mother Bohwa Maria, my father Ilsoo Joseph, my father in-law Yeonghag, my mother in-law Hilye Sara say to me such a thing!

Supports from place of delivery and mother in-law were associated with successful exclusive breastfeeding

Background and purpose: The 2019 Health Profile of Klungkung District in Bali Province shows that the area of Dawan I Public Health Center has the coverage of exclusive breastfeeding below 80% (72.6%). This study aimed at determining factors associated with the success of exclusive breastfeeding. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved all breastfeeding mothers with children aged 6-11 months old at the time of the data collection who resided in the area of Dawan I Public Health Center. The total number of samples was 105 mothers. Data was obtained from an online survey, using a structured questionnaire. The variables include maternal age, education and working status, parity, birth spacing, mother's attitude and knowledge on breastfeeding, supports from place of delivery and family, including husband and mother-in-law. Data were analyzed using Chi Square Test and Logistic Regression. Results: We found 81.90% of mothers were 20-35 years old, had high education (76.19%) and were working (53.33%). The success rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the working area of Dawan I was only 40.95%. The strongest predictors were the supports from place of delivery and mother-in-law. Mothers who received good supports from the place of delivery had a 4.12 times higher chance (p=0.03; 95%CI: 1.10-15.35) to successful exclusive breastfeeding. Mothers who received good supports from their mother-in-law had a 2.68 times higher chance (p=0.02; 95%CI: 1.13-6.34) to successfully give exclusive breastfeeding to their baby. Conclusion: Supports from place of delivery and mother-in-law are important determinants to be considered in increasing the success rate of exclusive breastfeeding.

Exploring factors affecting conflict between daughter-in-law and mother-in-law: A qualitative study

The aim of this study is to understand the process of conflict between mothers-in-law (MILs) and daughters-in-law (DILs), contributing factors, strategies, and consequences of utilizing these strategies. Using the grounded theory method, qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 Iranian mothers-in-law and 18 daughters-in-law parents between 2019 and 2022. Based on the data, a conceptual model of conflict was developed, which explains what causal factors have affected the conflict, in what context and under which intervention conditions did the conflict occur, what strategies were used to manage this conflict, and what are the consequences of this conflict. The coding process revealed that Failure to form a shared family identity-the core phenomenon-was at the heart of this conflict. Implications for prevention programs, as well as detailed findings, are discussed.

THREE HISTORICAL KINSHIP TERMS: PRAMAMA (ПРАМАМА), PRATASHTA (ПРАТЪШТА), PRASHTOURA (ПРАЩОУРА)

Three historical kinship terms attested in South Slavic legal texts of translated character are the subject of this article: pramama ‘great-grandmother‘; pratachta – a problematic term adapted to different contextual ambiance, but presumably designating the mother (stepmother) of the mother-in law; prachtoura ‘great-granddaughter‘. They reveal a sustainable model of nomination, transmitted in the modern ways for linguistic expression of the more distant kinship. The word-forming model of one-part cognate terms formed with prefixes пра or прѣ is historically productive, and retains its vitality from the past to the contemporary times. There are both established, commonly used and of high-frequency representatives, and rare ones. Although one can suppose the influence of the corresponding Greek term, respectively the attempt to calque it, the distant kinship provoked the use of a domestic fund, as the mentioned prefixes, which mark the temporal anteriority and the feature ‘old, aged’. It is not coincidental that in the traditional popular culture the expression “up to the ninth generation” implies the distant kinship. Distant kinship was obviously important in the times of the Ottoman domination, when the family played a major role in preserving identity. Positions in more distant genealogy were a challenge to the Slavic translators of Byzantine legal writings on the degrees of kinship from the late Middle Ages. They enriched the kinship terminology with new representatives.

THE THRACIANS AND THE WRITING

Three historical kinship terms attested in South Slavic legal texts of translated character are the subject of this article: pramama ‘great-grandmother‘; pratachta – a problematic term adapted to different contextual ambiance, but presumably designating the mother (stepmother) of the mother-in law; prachtoura ‘great-granddaughter‘. They reveal a sustainable model of nomination, transmitted in the modern ways for linguistic expression of the more distant kinship. The word-forming model of one-part cognate terms formed with prefixes пра or прѣ is historically productive, and retains its vitality from the past to the contemporary times. There are both established, commonly used and of high-frequency representatives, and rare ones. Although one can suppose the influence of the corresponding Greek term, respectively the attempt to calque it, the distant kinship provoked the use of a domestic fund, as the mentioned prefixes, which mark the temporal anteriority and the feature ‘old, aged’. It is not coincidental that in the traditional popular culture the expression “up to the ninth generation” implies the distant kinship. Distant kinship was obviously important in the times of the Ottoman domination, when the family played a major role in preserving identity. Positions in more distant genealogy were a challenge to the Slavic translators of Byzantine legal writings on the degrees of kinship from the late Middle Ages. They enriched the kinship terminology with new representatives.

Translation Strategies of Taboo Words in Christina Lauren’s “Beautiful Bastard” Novel From English Into Indonesian

This study is entitled Translation Strategies of Taboo Words in Christina Lauren’s “Beautiful Bastard” from English into Indonesian. This study at to find the types of taboo words and the translation strategies applied in translating the taboo words. The data were collected through the documentation method of the novel entitled Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren and its Indonesian version translated by Ine Milasari Hidajat under the same title. Then the data were analysed in a descriptive qualitative approach. Finally, the analysis was conducted by applying Wardhaugh’s (1986) theory of taboo words and translation strategies proposed by Davoodi (2009). The results showed that there were 140 data of taboo words were appeared in the novel. All kinds of taboo words, according to Wardhaugh (1986), appeared in the novel. Those are sex, death, excretion, bodily function, religiously matters, mother in law and animals. The most frequent type is linked to the sex term, while the least is mother in law. As for the translation strategies, each type of strategy proposed by Davoodi (2009) was found in the novel. They were censorship substitution, taboo for taboo and applying euphemism. Taboo for taboo was the most common strategy used by the translator, whereas the translation by applying euphemism was the least common strategy. 
 
 
 

Gender Transformative Interventions for Perinatal Mental Health in Low and Middle Income Countries-A Scoping Review.

Perinatal mental health problems are linked to poor outcomes for mothers, babies and families. In the context of Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC), a leading risk factor is gender disparity. Addressing gender disparity, by involving fathers, mothers in law and other family members can significantly improve perinatal and maternal healthcare, including risk factors for poor perinatal mental health such as domestic violence and poor social support. This highlights the need to develop and implement gender-transformative (GT) interventions that seek to engage with men and reduce or overcome gender-based constraints. This scoping review aimed to highlight existing gender transformative interventions from LMIC that specifically aimed to address perinatal mental health (partner violence, anxiety or depression and partner support) and identify components of the intervention that were found to be useful and acceptable. This review follows the five-stage Arksey and O’Malley framework and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. Six papers that met the inclusion criteria were included in the review (four from Africa and two from Asia). Common components of gender transformative interventions across studies included couple-based interventions and discussion groups. Gender inequity and related factors are a strong risk for poor perinatal mental health and the dearth of studies highlights the strong need for better evidence of GT interventions in this area.

Qualitative Examination of the Role and Influence of Mothers-in-Law on Young Married Couples' Family Planning in Rural Maharashtra, India.

Unmet need for family planning (FP) continues to be high in India, especially among young and newly married women. Mothers-in-law (MILs) often exert pressure on couples for fertility and control decision making and behaviors around fertility and FP, yet there is a paucity of literature to understand their perspectives. Ten focus group discussions (FGDs) were carried out with MILs of young married women (aged 18-29 years) participating in a couple-focused FP intervention as a part of a cluster-randomized intervention evaluation trial (the CHARM2 study) in rural Maharashtra, India. FGDs included questions on their roles, attitudes, and decision making around fertility and FP. Audio-recorded data were translated/transcribed into English and analyzed for key themes using a deductive coding method. MILs reported having social norms of early fertility and son preference. They understood that family size norms are lower among daughters-in-law and that spacing can be beneficial but were not supportive of short-term contraceptives, especially before the first child. They preferred female sterilization, opposed abortion, had apprehensions around side effects from contraceptive use, and had misconceptions about the intrauterine device, with particular concerns around its coercive insertion. MILs mostly believed that decision making should be done jointly by a husband and wife, but that as elders, they should be consulted and involved in the decision-making process. These findings highlight the need for engagement of MILs for FP promotion in rural India and the potential utility of social norms interventions.

Knowledge, practices and barriers in family planning.

Objectives: To assess the knowledge, practices and barriers of family planning in child bearing age women.Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Department of Obstet-rics and Gynecology unit II Dr. Ruth K.M Pfau civil hospital Karachi from April 2019 to June 2019. During this period 399 women after being discharged from hospital were assessed for knowledge, practices of contraception and presumed barriers for using contraception. The responses were documented on self-designed question-naire.Results: Mean age of candidates was 29.72 ±4.72 years. 66% women were not for-mally educated. 88.7% of women had knowledge about family planning methods and the major source of information was friends and relatives (42%). Only 40.6% women were practicing contraception and majority of them were using barrier method (24.6%). Any method was not used by 59.4% of women due to multiple reasons. The major barrier was fear of side effects (27.6%).Conclusion: Our study population was well aware about contraceptive methods but underutilized due to family pressures .Women education and counseling along with husband and mother in law can improve family planning measures. The government and media should do active measures in spreading information about various availa-ble methods of contraception and their side effects.
 Keywords: Knowledge, Practices, Barriers, Contraception