Représentations sociales de la contraception chez les femmes dans le septième arrondissement de N’Djamena

Abstract

This study is entitled « Social representations of contraception among women in the Seventh District of N’Djamena/Chad ». It analyzes how perceptions, beliefs, and cultural norms influence the use of contraceptive methods in this urban context. The main question is: what are the social representations of contraception among women in the seventh district of N’Djamena? three secondary questions arise from this main question what meaning, beliefs and values do women in the seventh district of Ndjamena associate with modern and traditional contraceptive methods? How do socio-economic and educational factors influence the construction and differentiation of social representations of contraception among these women? In what way do family, religious and institutional discourses contribute to the dissemination, maintenance or transformation of social representations of contraception In the seventh district of Ndjamena ? The study is based on the hypothesis that social representations of contraception, shaped by religious values, traditions and socio-economic constraints, constitute a major obstacle to its adoption. The general objective is to understand how theses representations influence women’s behavior and to propose courses of action adapted to the Chadian context. Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative approach combining semi-structured interviews, group discussions and field observations. This approach made it possible to collecte varied testimonies from women, health providers and religious leaders. The data were processed according to a thematic analysis, facilitating the identification of beliefs, social norms and dominants logics. The analysis is based on three major theoretical frameworks: the theory of social representations Serge Moscovici and the ethnomethodological approach wish made it possible to link individual experiences to social structures. The results reveal that contraception remains perceived through a prism of mistrust and stigma, fueld by religious discourse, fertility myths, and fear of side effects. Contraceptive pratices therefore remain limited, although some wemen develop personal strategies to reconcile religious prescriptions and the need for family planning. The study higlights the need for participatory and culturally sensitive approaches, focus on awareness- raising, community dialogue, and respect for women’s autonomy.