Background. Informed choice means that women contraceptive users choose the method that best satisfies their needs after receiving information about all available contraceptive methods, side-effects of the methods, and how to deal with the side effects if experienced. Receiving adequate information is an ethical necessity and a fundamental rule in fulfilling reproductive rights because women’s decisions depend on the information. Objective. To measure the percentages of women making an informed choice of contraceptives and associated factors in Indonesia, between 2007 and 2017. This measure reflects how far Indonesia had achieved the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target 3.7 (“by 2030, to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes”).
Methods. Married women who used five modern contraceptive methods (the pill, injectables, implants, IUD, and female sterilization) were included, comprised of a total unweighted sample of 23,910 women out of the 45,607 and 49,627 married women aged 15-49 in the 2012 and 2017 Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey data, respectively. The Method Information Index (MII) scores calculated responses to three questions (were told about method‐specific side effects, advised what to do if they experienced them, and informed about other available methods). Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess factors associated with the MII value.
Results. In this study, the two waves of 2012 and 2017 IDHS data revealed that women making informed choices were 24.60% and 28.65%, respectively. Meaning, over 70% of women contraceptive users were still uninformed about side effects, what to do, and other available methods. Since informed choice determines the continuation of methods used, it is crucial to close this persistent gap, in line with the principle of women’s reproductive rights in achieving SDG target 3.7.
Conclusions. Over 70 percent of reproductive age married women in Indonesia were inadequately informed about side effects, what to do if they experienced side effects, and whether other methods could be used. Keywords: family planning, informed choice, contraceptives, SDG target 3.7, Indonesia, 2030