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Background:

Unintended pregnancies cause maternal mortality and morbidity. Abortion is restricted in the country except to save the critical condition of a woman. The family planning (FP) methods are less accessible in the rural areas and the rural women have to go through health complications without having proper knowledge and health services on family planning (FP) and menstrual regulation (MR). Evidence shows that educated and trained midwives can play a vital role to reducing the gap of health services. Quality of care regarding FP and MR are influenced by provider’s attitudes, perceptions and knowledge.

Objective:

To explore attitudes and perceptions in relation to family planning and menstrual regulation among future midwives in Bangladesh.

Methods:

A Qualitative study approach with final year midwifery students (n=33) through a semi-structured topic guide and focus group discussion (FGD) was applied. Qualitative content analysis was conducted.

Results

: Future midwives in this study revealed positive attitudes towards the task of menstrual regulation and family planning. Negative attitudes towards unintended pregnancy in society leave especially young and unmarried women in a conflicting situation, with limited decision power or access to discuss these health issues in their families. The midwives-to-be perceived that their responsibility was to help women to understand and take own health-related decisions such as menstrual regulation and family planning but that knowledge and attitudes needed to be improved among midwives.

Conclusion and implications for practice:

Relevant training and counseling can support adequate attitudes of caregivers, which can raise the level of acceptance of the service a midwife will provide to a woman. To reduce the gap between caregivers and care receivers and ensure respectful service, the only solution is educated midwives development and deployment.