Influences in the pattern of contraceptive decision making among married women in Haiti: Evidencefrom the 2012 Demographic and Health Survey

OBJECTIVES: To identify significant predictors in dominance in decision-making for fertility control among reproductive-aged married women in Haiti. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The data were obtained from reproductive-aged, non-pregnant women participating in the 2012 Haitian Demographic and Health Survey(HDSH). Univariate, bivariate and multivariate statistical procedures were used to, respectively, describe the characteristics of the data, find the association between the dependent variable and each independent variable of interest, and to estimate the relative importance of independent factors on female or joint decision-making versus male dominance. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis revealed that relative to male dominance, female dominance was related to the husband’s fertility desires, number of unions and number of pregnancies. Joint decision-making was associated with sources known for obtaining condoms and number of pregnancies. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study add to the literature on contraceptive decision-making in the low in comecontext where little is known about reproductive and contraceptive behaviours. Findings lead to questions about the role of stakeholders, including government, in raising awareness. The findings suggest the need for studies on the connection between HIV/AIDS and reproductive and child health in Haiti specifically and the Caribbean in general.