Spousal Separation Research Articles

Residents' and spouses' experiences of loneliness and depression after separation due to long-term care placement: a qualitative systematic review.

The objective of this review was to describe the experiences of loneliness and/or depression for residents and their spouses who have been separated by long-term care placement. Loneliness and depression have a pernicious influence on the overall health and well-being of older adults. Older adults' mental health is significantly affected by social relationships, including those between spouses. However, there is limited research pertaining to long-term care residents' and community-dwelling spouses' experiences of loneliness and/or depression after separation due to long-term care placement. This systematic review included studies that recruited community-dwelling spouses and long-term care residents over 50 years of age with living spouses from whom they are separated due to long-term care placement. Studies on the experiences of loneliness and/or depression due to spousal separation with one or both spouses living in long-term care were included in this review. Ovid MEDLINE(R) was used for the initial search. A full search strategy was developed for Ovid MEDLINE(R), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Embase (Ovid), and PsycINFO (Ovid). The review was conducted using the JBI methodology for reviews of qualitative research, with 2 independent reviewers performing study selection, critical appraisal, data extraction, data synthesis, and assessment of confidence in the findings. Eleven papers were included in this systematic review. Four synthesized findings were extracted from 10 categories and 42 findings: i) Loneliness and depression result from a lack of physical and social connection for separated long-term care residents and community-dwelling spouses; ii) Community-dwelling spouses feel unprepared and upset with spousal separation due to a lack of psychological support; iii) Behavioral strategies can prevent community-dwelling spouses and long-term care residents from developing loneliness and/or depression; and iv) Community-dwelling spouses have differing abilities to adapt and cope with feelings of loneliness and/or depression. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of the feelings of loneliness and/or depression in spouses who are separated due to long-term care placement. This review has demonstrated that there is a lack of literature inclusive of the voices and perspectives of all spouses affected by spousal separation in long-term care. The limitations of this review include the small number of included studies and the range of quality in included studies. Recommendations include additional research on the lived experience of spousal separation from the perspectives of long-term care residents and their community-dwelling spouses. Further, additional psychological support is needed for separated spouses, guided by the suggestions and experiences of long-term care residents and their community-dwelling spouses. PROSPERO CRD42022333014.

The objectives of family rulings according to Dr. Wahba Al-Zuhaili (comparative analytical study )

The research presented to the reader entitled (The Purposes of the Family Laws of Dr. Wahba Al-Zuhaili - A Comparative Analytical Study), is part of the intentional jurisprudence that forms part of the huge heritage left by Wahba Al-Zuhaili - may God have mercy on him - in his writings and research. the means for family judgments and their analysis in the different stages; Before marriage, during marital life, the dissolution of marriage and the separation of spouses. By presenting the differences of scholars, with an explanation of Al-Zuhaili's positions, opinions and preferences, which include preserving the interests of the family on the one hand and warding off evil from it on the other hand, and in conclusion, a list of the most important results reached by the researcher.

Marital Unity vs. Property Separation of Spouses in light of Canon Law and Civil Law

The article reflects on the validity of canonical marriage with respect to separation of property determined by prospective spouses under Polish law by way of the so-called prenuptial agreement. The analysis of the norms of Polish law regulating the separation of property and seeking corresponding norms in canon law are intended to answer whether a prenuptial agreement made before marriage can constitute an exclusion of one of the aspects of the community of life and thus may have a probative value in a nullity case. The present analysis affords the conclusion that it is not the prenuptial agreement, but rather the intention with which the prospective spouses concluded it that determines the validity of canonical marriage. Indeed, signing such an agreement may sometimes be objectively justified, legitimate or even advisable. However, if it demonstrates a party’s unwillingness to build marital unity, it will be a reason for declaring the marriage invalid on at least three counts: 1) as exclusion of conjugal indissolubility (bonum sacramentum), 2) as incapacity to assume the essential obligations of marriage, and 3) as exclusion of the good of the spouses (bonum coniugum).

The Principle of Equality of Rights of Spouses and Grounds for Derogation when Dividing Property of Spouses

Introduction. In the Family Code of the Russian Federation, the legislator enshrines the principle of equal rights of spouses and establishes a regime of joint property of spouses. The circumstances that arise in family life are multifaceted, and it is not always possible to maintain family relationships. As a result, the division of the spouses’ property occurs in court with the requirement of the party to deviate from the principles of equality of shares. The author has made an attempt to identify the legal nature and criteria of “deviation from the principles of equality of shares”, the basis for the possible recognition of property as the property of everyone in the event of separation of spouses. Methods. The study used analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, argumentation, generalization, historical and comparative legal analysis. Results. An analysis was carried out and the legal nature of the deviation from the principles of equality of shares was determined, criteria were proposed that allow spouses and former spouses to apply the rule “on deviation from equality of shares” in court, to protect their property rights during the division of property and the termination of family life. Discussion and Сonclusion. Proposals have been made for the development of Russian legal regulation, allowing for the exercise of property rights of spouses when dividing property on the basis of the principle of equality.

Unmet Need for Family Planning and Spousal Separation in Nepal: A Spatial and Multilevel Analysis.

Objectives: In Nepal, where increasing numbers of married couples live apart due to migration, progress in reducing unmet need for family planning (UMN) is stagnant. This study aims to identify spatial patterns of UMN of married women and spousal separation in Nepal and explore associations between UMN and spousal separation at individual- and district-levels. Methods: We used 2016 Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys data to conduct spatial and multilevel logistic analyses. Results: This study shows evidence of similar geographical patterns in UMN of married women and spousal separation. At the individual level, women living with their spouses had 88% (aOR = 0.12, 95% CI 0.11-0.13) decreased odds of experiencing UMN compared to those living apart from their spouses. While not statistically significant, increasing odds of UMN were observed with higher prevalence of spousal separation at the district level. Conclusion: This study contributes to the existing literature by showing similar geographical patterns of UMN and spousal separation across Nepal and demonstrating both individual and contextual effects of spousal separation on UMN among married women. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.

Biopsychosocial Profile of COVID-19 Patients Cared for in Public and Private Health Facilities in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan

Background. Over the past two years, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a staggering number of biopsychosocial deficits in the general population that have impacted the physical, psychological, and social aspects of their health and well-being. Objectives. This paper highlights the biopsychosocial characteristics of COVID-19 patients cared for in public and private health facilities in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Methods. A cross-sectional study was performed using telephone interviews of patients tested positive for COVID-19 between March 2020 and March 2021. The Pashto version of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) was administrated to all patients. Independent t -test and ANOVA analyses were used to assess the effects of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics on DASS-21 total scores and on each subscale separately. Results. Of all 477 participants, the vast majority (95%) had characteristic symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, sore throat, cough, and headache. Of all participants, 472 (99%) had symptoms of anxiety, 462 (96.9%) had depression, and 463 (97.1%) had stress. Patients who scored significantly higher on the DASS-21 scale were more likely to have female sex, old age, low level of education, spouse separation, comorbid medical conditions, and being admitted to intensive care units. Conclusion. This study confirmed the previously described epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with severe COVID-19. The results indicated a high burden of mental health problems in severe COVID-19 patients. Hence, we recommend that policymakers in Afghanistan take proper measures for the timely provision of efficient and quality mental health services during every disaster and postdisaster era.

Separation between spouses for absence in Islamic jurisprudence and laws of GCC countries A comparative jurisprudence study

The issue of spouse separation due to the husband's absence is a topic deserving research due to its significant impact on people's lives, particularly in their pursuit of livelihood and the consequent separation from their families and homelands. This issue is also relevant to circumstances involving forced separations due to public calamities or legal systems in some countries. The primary objective of this research is to shed light on the perspectives of faqihs (jurists) regarding this matter and to elucidate the regulations governing personal status in the Arab Gulf States. The study commences with an introductory section, followed by the definition of absence and disagreements, along with an examination of their justifications for the legal separation of spouses. It also delves into the types of divisions that may result from such separations. Furthermore, the study outlines the provisions incorporated within the personal status laws of the Gulf States. In conclusion, the research encapsulates its key findings and recommendations. One of the noteworthy recommendations involves conducting a review of personal status laws in light of recent developments. Additionally, it is advised to consider extending the duration of allowable husband's absence when estimating separation length.

Analysis of the factors influencing male infertility of reproductive age in Jinan.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines infertility as a person failing to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Infertility includes female infertility and male infertility. The aim of this paper is to study the etiology of infertility and related influencing factors in men of reproductive age in Jinan. In this study, 172 male infertile patients who attended the Department of Assisted Reproduction of Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Shandong, China and the Infertility Clinic of Jinan Central Hospital in Shandong, China from August 2021 to April 2022 are selected as the study population (infertility group). A convenience sampling method is used to select 257 men from couples attending the Obstetrics Department of Qilu Hospital in Shandong, China, the Obstetrics Department of the Second Hospital of Shandong University in Shandong, China, and the Obstetrics Department of Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Shandong, China from October 2021 to February 2022 as the study subjects (control group). A self-designed questionnaire is used to conduct the survey, which includes basic personal information, lifestyle information, marital and family-related information, and one-way and multi-way logistic regression analyses are performed. The average age of the case group and the control group are 34.03±5.13 years old and 33.61±8.18 years old; the average height is 175.80±5.91 cm and 176.78±5.25 cm; the average weight is 80.28±14.70 kg and 83.09±45.36 kg. The differences in age, height, and weight between the case group and the control group are not statistically significant by t-test. Moderate oligospermia is the predominant cause of infertility in men of reproductive age in Jinan. A multifactorial logistic regression analysis yields that academic qualifications (OR=2.518, 95% CI: 1.023 to 6.196), coffee consumption (OR=7.692, 95% CI: 1.623 to 36.460), living in a room that had been renovated within a period of time (OR=2.769, 95% CI: 1.104 to 6.949), stress level (OR=47.280, 95% CI: 23.656-94.494), quality of sexual life (OR=3.352, 95% CI: 1.331-8.442), and duration of couple separation (OR=3.851, 95% CI: 1.094-13.557) are the main risk factors for infertility in men of reproductive age in Jinan. In this study, a total of 6 risk factors are screened for male infertility in Jinan in the reproductive age, including high academic qualifications, coffee consumption, living in a room that has finished renovation within 3 months, high stress, poor quality of sexual life, and long spousal separation. Three factors can be controlled, avoided, or reduced through personal actions; the factors are coffee consumption, living in a room that has finished renovation within 3 months, and high stress, all of which may reduce the level of male reproductive health.

Experience of loneliness and depression due to spousal separation in long-term care residents and their spouses: a qualitative systematic review protocol.

The objective of this review is to describe the experience of loneliness and/or depression due to spousal separation when one or both spouses are admitted into a long-term care facility. Loneliness and depression are important concerns for the health and well-being of older adults separated from their spouses due to long-term care placement. Social relationships, specifically spousal relationships, have a significant impact on the mental health of older adults. However, there is limited research on the experience or effect of spousal separation on long-term care residents' and their spouses' experience of loneliness and/or depression. This review will include long-term care residents and their spouses who are over the age of 50 and have a spouse they are separated from due to long-term care placement. Studies will be included in this review if they explore the experiences of loneliness and/or depression due to spousal separation with one or both spouses living in a long-term care facility. This review will be conducted in line with the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of qualitative evidence. MEDLINE was used for the initial search. A full search strategy was then developed for MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, and PsycINFO. The JBI approach to study selection, critical appraisal, data extraction, data synthesis, and assessment of confidence will be used. Two reviewers will pilot test the screening criteria and data extraction protocol. PROSPERO CRD42022333014.

Mediacja jako metoda pokonania kryzysu w sądowej próbie pogodzenia stron w procesie kanonicznym

In the doctrine of procedural canon law, the mediation is most often called an attempt to reconcile the parties. The mediation surprise in its simplicity and, at the same time, is very astonishing in its effectiveness. That is a legal institiution that in its theoretical structure resembles mediation, in the canonical procedural law system it can be used as a settlement, compromise or arbitration court. It is called an attempt to reconcile the parties, reconciliation of the parties, agreement of the parties or atonement of the parties. It is always necessary to recall that the concern for the salvation of souls remains the highest goal of institutions, legal acts and laws, but the protection of unity in faith and in the discipline of marriage, which is the foundation and origin of the Christian family is also the goal. The legislator constantly encourages the judge to try to reconcile the parties - mediation in many types of canonical trials: in contentious trials, in oral trials, in cases to declare nullity of marriage and in cases of separation of spouses. In each of these, the point is to refrain from going to court, which,- althought is the most perfect method of seeking justice among believers - is the last method and must be treated as such. Therefore the dominance over the legal action is taken over by all kinds of pastoral means used to reconcile the parties, because this reconciliation, in their practical form, bears all the hallmarks of the mediation. Key words: mediation, reconcile the parties, canonical trial, marriage processes, marriage law, procedural canon law

Wives Not Slaves: Patriarchy and Modernity in the Age of Revolutions by Kirsten Sword

Reviewed by: Wives Not Slaves: Patriarchy and Modernity in the Age of Revolutions by Kirsten Sword Maria O'Malley (bio) Wives Not Slaves: Patriarchy and Modernity in the Age of Revolutions kirsten sword University of Chicago Press, 2021 408 pp. Kirsten Sword's Wives Not Slaves: Patriarchy and Modernity in the Age of Revolutions offers an incisive and compelling argument about how the rise of print, in particular public notices in newspapers, mediated spousal separation and to a certain extent shaped legal discourses surrounding the dissolution of marriage. The book provides ample context for the cases it highlights by tracing the halting and roundabout ways the jurisdictional debate about divorce unfolded in England and in the colonies. Sword finds that "the dramatic growth of the press gave ordinary people power to draw on a transatlantic repertoire of debates about household order, and to make legal and moral arguments independent of the claims of local legal authorities" (12). She notices how advertisements in newspapers were used as an alternative to the law to exempt a spouse from the financial obligations of marriage. Rather than taking a spouse to court for a legal divorce, which would involve a lengthy process and an uncertain verdict, a husband would place an advertisement in a local paper explaining to merchants that he was not responsible for her expenses. Sword includes, as a frontispiece, one such ad placed by John Davis in the New-Hampshire Gazette in 1762 asking for his wife's return as well as distancing himself from any of her finances: "This is therefore to forbid any Person entertaining or harboring her on my Account, or giving her Credit for Money or any Thing whatsoever" (qtd. in Sword 1). Her argument is built on extensive archival evidence that she culls from divorce cases, legal commentaries, ecclesiastical pronouncements, political treatises, novels, letters, personal journals, and newspapers. The study, ultimately, demonstrates how "newspaper [End Page 254] reporting of these phenomena, as well as of parliamentary petitions for full divorce, helped escalate demand for legal and quasi-legal remedies to marital conflict on both sides of the Atlantic" (111). Sword spotlights how these demands shored up or challenged the hegemony of patriarchal systems. The book starts with great promise by explaining in the introduction how racialized figurations shaped the public relations campaigns spouses launched and how, in some ways, the practice of race-based slavery raised new questions about eighteenth-century marriage and divorce. Her study analyzes the phrasing, paradigms, and epistemes that set the terms for marriage law against the background of political revolutions stretching from the Interregnum to the American Revolution. She finds that at times the practice of slavery informed marriage law: "European colonial powers revived [arguments about household patriarchy] to support new forms of government and new forms of slavery between the sixteenth and seventh centuries" (4–5). As evidence, she identifies substantial similarities between newspapers advertisements seeking the return of enslaved people and wives who had absconded. The great strength of the book lies in its close attention to language to broaden the study's scope from divorce to conceptions of slavery and the ties it finds between divorce and the expansion of a credit-based marketplace. The first parts of the book focus on single divorce cases from the sixteenth century: one in the colonies (Christopher and Elizabeth Lawson) and one in England (Manby v. Scott). These cases demonstrate how patriarchy undergirded legal decisions even as those decisions demarcated some limits to males' authority over their households. Sword cites new primary source material to give a more balanced account of these cases. Not until the second half of the book does a reader get an extended treatment of the tropes relying on enslavement for understanding marriage law. The promises of the introduction bear fruit starting in chapter 5 and ripen especially in chapter 8 when the book's argument sharpens and clarifies. Many scholars will find her discussion of aggregated archival work of newspapers notices useful. Much of Sword's archival work involved digging up public notices submitted to local papers by husbands publicizing the behavior of their errant wives to distance themselves from any financial obligations and then the...

8 rue de l’Humanité by Dany Boon

Reviewed by: 8 rue de l’Humanité by Dany Boon Maria G. Traub Boon, Dany, réal. 8 rue de l’Humanité. Int. Dany Boon, François Damiens, Laurence Arné, Yvan Attal. Inver Tax Shelter, 2021. A national lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic is causing staggering challenges to routine living in France. In this film, we enter the private lives of people dealing with myriad issues, including separation of spouses, familial disagreements due to changes in work environments, falling in love, medical testing, and the hazards of forgetting to mute or close cameras online while speaking to others. The pandemic is a situation familiar to all of us. Set within a contemporary historical context, the film takes us to a specific cultural setting, an apartment building in Paris. There are several plots running parallel to each other that keep the viewer engaged and the action moving forward. Using film to stimulate lively classroom conversation, one might stage reenactments of specific scenes or mine them in other ways—in one case using the topic of diversity. Tony, the Belgian landlord and building resident, freely and mindlessly berates his absent immigrant concierge, while her husband is standing in front of him to make a delivery. He attempts to walk back his commentary with the remark, “among us immigrants, etc.,” but her husband Diego replies simply, “I am a French citizen, sir.” Tony is reckless again when he casts suspicion on a North African woman who comes and goes from an apartment at odd hours, conjecturing about the possibility that she may be a source of contagion. Nevertheless, the tone of the movie is lighthearted, and it is peppered with burlesque incidents. Surprisingly, Martin, an illustrator for a scientific publication, has worked himself into a frenzy over the dangers of contamination. His use of hand-held thermometers, disinfectant spray, and transparent full-face masks with a respiratory tube attached transform him into a ludicrous figure. Martin’s interpretation of the stereotypical hypochondriac is counterbalanced by Jean-Paul, a renegade biologist who is always seeking guinea pigs to test the vaccine he has concocted. When in desperation he injects himself, we witness his own comedic reaction to his vaccine in his spasmodic jerks and twitches. To avoid inquiries, he pretends to be practicing dance. The film is laden with vignettes, showing how easy it is to live in exaggeration while gently underscoring the need for common sense. Some footage is unnecessary such as time spent by the camera panning Tony in his underpants with full frontal and rear viewing, while nearby his son is participating in an online class. One quick look at him would suffice to make the point. Indoor scenes are punctuated with moments of outdoor encounters. Lockdown security agents stop walkers, requesting identification and permits. Meanwhile, views of empty Parisian streets emphasize the bleakness of the situation. When we learn of the concierge Paola’s death, the full impact of our human vulnerability to an airborne killer brings a sobering moment, and a sense of community takes hold of the residents. The film’s mes sage, in addition to keeping a sense of humor to get us through the tough times, is the need to develop a sense of community with others. [End Page 246] Maria G. Traub Neumann University (PA) Copyright © 2022 American Association of Teachers of French

Association of Spousal Separation and Widowhood with Incident Dementia: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Neurocognitive Study (NCS)

AbstractBackgroundCommunity‐based investigations suggest that being unmarried in mid‐ to late‐life increases dementia risk. However, these studies rarely distinguish the cause of unmarried status (i.e., whether divorced, widowed, or never married). We prospectively examined spousal separation/loss and dementia incidence in the ARIC study.Method14,922 participants reported marital status and were dementia‐free at baseline (Visit 3, 1993‐95; mean age 59.6, SD 5.8). They were followed through 2019 with annual follow‐up surveys of marital status (never married [n = 390], married [n = 7,314], divorced/separated [n = 1,512], widowed [n = 5,706]). Widowed or divorced/separated participants were asked when this event occurred. Dementia cases were adjudicated through in‐person evaluations, informant interviews, and phone assessments from Visit 5 onward, and pre‐ and post‐Visit 5 hospitalization codes and death certificates. We investigated the association between being widowed and being divorced/separated (both as time‐varying variables) with dementia (excluding dementia in the first year after widowhood event) using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for demographics, APOEε4, and vascular risk factors.Results2,931 dementia cases were identified. Demographic‐ and APOEε4‐adjusted hazard ratio (HR) (95% CI) for dementia was 1.11 (1.02‐1.21) in participants who were widowed compared to those who were not widowed, when time‐varying widowhood status was considered. (Table 1). This association was no longer significant when the model was further adjusted for time‐variant covariates (e.g., vascular risk factors, occupation, health insurance status). A similar pattern was seen for number of times widowed, where results were suggestive of elevated dementia risk in minimally adjusted but not more fully adjusted models. Compared to participants who were neither widowed nor separated, participants who were widowed had a higher unadjusted HR (95% CI) for dementia, HR = 1.78 (1.65‐1.93) vs HR = 0.94 for those who were separated or divorced (0.81‐1.09) (Table 2).ConclusionWidowhood is associated with dementia incidence in minimally adjusted models, with limited evidence that the association is stronger than that which is seen from divorce/separation alone. However, this association was not statistically significant in the adjusted model, indicating that other factors may contribute to the observed relationship.

Factors Responsible for the Decline Contraceptive Prevalence rate in Nepal

This study is based on the factors responsible for the decline in the use of contraceptives in Nepal since 2006. The main objective of this study is to identify potentially responsible factors contributing to the reduction of CPR in Nepal. This study is based on a secondary resource. For the purpose of this study, data and information has been collected from various sources such as demographic and health survey reports, published national and international articles and reports in related contexts. The Family Planning Program is a priority program of the Government of Nepal, established with the objective of ensuring that individuals and couples fulfill their reproductive needs and rights using quality family planning methods based on voluntarily informed choices. The use of temporary contraceptives in Nepal has not increased over the past few years and has remained stable rate since 2011 and 2016. This does not mean an overall decline in the prevalence of contraceptives because of the prevalence rate of any method of contraception has increased (53%) in 2016 from 50 percent in 2011 and 48 percent in 2006. Since 2006, the uses percentage of modern contraceptive methods has not increased, this study is focused on the causes of low or stable contraception rate. Still, the current supply of contraceptives has not able to meet the high demand of contraceptive users. The demand for contraceptives was 67 percent in 2016.The reasons for the decline in contraceptives in Nepal could be (a) Spousal Separation (especially in the reproductive age group), (b) increasing use of traditional methods, (c) legalization of abortion and (d) use of emergency contraception. Results show that 47 percent of married women discontinued the use of family planning methods because of their husband being away from home. Similarly, 9.8 percent of married women were traditional method users. After the legalization of abortion, the number of abortions has been gradually increasing over the year and the use of emergency contraceptive pills is also increasing day by day.

“I Beg You Take Me from Here”: Spousal Abandonment and the Experience of Separation in Flight from Persecution

Spousal separation and abandonment was prevalent through the medieval and early modern worlds. However, women experienced the traumatic and damaging consequences of these separations far more often than their male counterparts. These instances were only multiplied by the political and social upheaval caused by the Reformation. This article explores this experience for women in the early modern era using Olympia Morata, among others, as windows through which to explore the reasons women were frequently abandoned, the lived reality of experiencing this separation, and the complex religious dynamics of early modern mobility as they related to gender.

Aspects Regarding the Separation of Spouses

Abstract The present study proposes an analysis of the common dispositions of the European Union, applicable to marriage dissolution by divorce but also to the legal separation. Also, we will realize a comparison between divorce and legal separation, due to the fact that, the last one is not regulated in all the countries that are part of the European Union. Consequently, we would like to identify the advantages and disadvantages of this legal procedure that is used by the spouses to separate, but which has as main effect maintaining the relations born when the marriage was concluded. We approached this subject, on the one hand, because the relations between spouses have degraded on the background of the movement restrictions both at national and global level. On the other hand, we turned our attention towards this domain, due the fact that not all states which apply the regulations of the European Union on this matter recognize both separation methods.

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.

Trends and Determinants of Unmet Need For Contraception among Married Female Youth in Nepal

The unmet need for contraception continues to be high among married female youth in Nepal even though the accessibility of contraceptive methods and people's consciousness has been enhanced significantly. This study intends to identify the trends of unmet need for contraception for 15 years and its determinants. Because the trends of unmet need for contraception and its influencing factors among female youth are not exclusively studied in Nepal. The main data sources for the study are Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHS) 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016. The sample sizes from the NDHSs are 2,573 in 2,001; 2,389 in2006; 2,552 in 2011; and 2,287 in 2016. Logistic regression analysis is applied to examine the factors that affect the unmet needs. During 15 years, the unmet need for contraception has decreased marginally in Nepal but is quite high (32%) among married female youth especially adolescents. There is only a nominal percentage (2.1) point decline from 34.1 in 2001 to 32.2 percent in 2016. Socio demographic factors such as married female youth's age, age of cohabitation, total living children, spousal separation, youths’ education, their husbands’ occupation, and wealth status are the evident determinants of the unmet need for contraception among female youth in Nepal. The nation’s family planning program has to be made to communicate effectively the needs of various specific groups: youth couples who are living together, educated, Muslims, poor, and living in rural areas where unmet need is high.

Shifting dynamics: Changes in the relationship between total fertility rate and contraceptive prevalence rate in Jordan between 2012 and 2017.

Background: Between the two most recent Population and Family Health Surveys, Jordan saw a dramatic decline in the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) from 3.5 to 2.7 in 5.5 years. Over the same period, modern contraceptive use also declined, from 61.2% to 51.8% among married women. This decrease in both TFR and the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) diverges from the typical relationship seen between these two factors whereby historically as CPR increases, TFR decreases. This paper explores this unique pattern using multiple methodologies. Methods: First, we validate the survey data using nationally collected data on fertility and contraceptive distribution. Second, we look to changes that have historically influenced changes in CPR and TFR, including changes in ideal family size and wanted fertility rates. Third, we explore proximate determinants and other influences on fertility and changes in contraception, examining the changes in the method mix and unmet need; marriage patterns, including the demographics of the married population, spousal separation, and time since last sex; postpartum insusceptibility; infecundity, both primary and secondary; and abortion, to see if any have shifted significantly enough to allow for fertility to decline with less contraceptive use. Results: We find that the decline in fertility in Jordan was driven by a reduction in mistimed or unwanted pregnancies and there was a significant increase in the share of reproductive aged women who are infecund. We also concluded that the changes in fertility and contraceptive use are driven by changes in Jordanian nationals, not by the growing Syrian refugee population. Conclusions: Jordan is not the only country to be experiencing a shift in the typical relationship between CPR and TFR. Results can inform both future approaches for family planning programs and our expectations regarding what kind of change our family planning investments might buy.

Shifting dynamics: Changes in the relationship between total fertility rate and contraceptive prevalence rate in Jordan between 2012 and 2017

Background: Between the two most recent Population and Family Health Surveys, Jordan saw a dramatic decline in the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) from 3.5 to 2.7 in 5.5 years. Over the same period, modern contraceptive use also declined, from 61.2% to 51.8% among married women. This decrease in both TFR and the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) diverges from the typical relationship seen between these two factors whereby historically as CPR increases, TFR decreases. This paper explores this unique pattern using multiple methodologies. Methods: First, we validate the survey data using nationally collected data on fertility and contraceptive distribution. Second, we look to changes that have historically influenced changes in CPR and TFR, including changes in ideal family size and wanted fertility rates. Third, we explore proximate determinants and other influences on fertility and changes in contraception, examining the changes in the method mix and unmet need; marriage patterns, including the demographics of the married population, spousal separation, and time since last sex; postpartum insusceptibility; infecundity, both primary and secondary; and abortion, to see if any have shifted significantly enough to allow for fertility to decline with less contraceptive use. Results: We find that the decline in fertility in Jordan was driven by a reduction in mistimed or unwanted pregnancies and there was a significant increase in the share of reproductive aged women who are infecund. We also concluded that the changes in fertility and contraceptive use are driven by changes in Jordanian nationals, not by the growing Syrian refugee population. Conclusions: Jordan is not the only country to be experiencing a shift in the typical relationship between CPR and TFR. Results can inform both future approaches for family planning programs and our expectations regarding what kind of change our family planning investments might buy.