Abstract
Objectives: This study investigates the prevalence of contraceptive use among women receiving cancer treatment in Zahedan, southeast Iran. We evaluated the role of various demographic and socio-cultural factors, fertility intentions, and care providers in contraceptive use. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 133 women of reproductive age receiving cancer treatment (chemotherapy or radiotherapy) in Zahedan. Patients referred to three medical centers in Zahedan from November 2019 to May 2020 were selected via the convenience sampling method and interviewed using a questionnaire. The data were analyzed in SPSS (version 18) using multinomial logistic regression. Results: It was found that 34.6% (N = 46) of women undergoing cancer treatment were at risk of unintended pregnancy, with 23.3% (N = 31) using the withdrawal method and 11.3% (N = 15) not using any form of contraception. Additionally, 37.0% (N = 49) of women reported inadequate knowledge about emergency contraception methods. Furthermore, 46.6% (N = 62) of women stated that the physician responsible for their cancer treatment had never discussed contraceptives with them. The highest prevalence of traditional contraceptive methods and non-use of contraception was observed among illiterate women, women with primary education, women living in polygamous families, women desiring more than four children, women who did not agree with their husbands on the contraceptive method, women who did not receive any physician consultation, and women living far from health centers. The multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that the main predictors of contraception use were physician consultation about contraception (OR = 13.64, 95% CI: 2.13-87.32, P = .006) and couple agreement on the contraception method (OR = 9.91, 95% CI: 1.69-58.15, P = .011). Conclusions: Considering that, based on new population policies in Iran, access to free family planning (FP) services has ended and access to contraceptives is limited, women of reproductive age with illnesses—especially those with poor socioeconomic status, those living in polygamous families, and those in less developed regions—should be considered a vulnerable group by the healthcare system. Furthermore, men should be included in consultation sessions with care providers to improve their participation in FP.