07 Couple communication.pmd

Department of Health Education; Department of Epidemiology, School of Health, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Islamic Republic of Iran (Correspondence to F. Rakhshani: [email protected]). 2Department of Health Education, Tarbiat Moddares University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. ABSTRACT A qualitative study in Zahedan, Islamic Republic of Iran, used focus group discussions with 120 people in 8 main groups to understand more about couple’s decision-making and the role of men in family planning. The study included men and women from Sunni and Shia sects as well as theologians from both sects. Shiites, lay people and theologians, believed that both husband and wife play a major role in decisionmaking about family planning, while Sunnis believed that men are the main decision-makers. All participants believed that men have an important role in family planning, but also that men do not like attending family planning clinics. Religious tenets were important in couple’s decision-making about using contraceptives but there were confusions over different teachings.