Facing a rapid population growth very early in 1960s, Vietnam introduced various population
and family planning programs which focus on fertility reduction through free provisions of
contraception. Thanks to these early programs, its fertility reduction has been significant over
the past few decades. However, substantial variations in fertility rates continue to cause
concerns. Specifically, rates remain high among ethnic minority groups in Vietnam. It results
from low contraceptive use among ethnic groups due to limited knowledge and less
accessibility to contraceptives, as well as fears of side-effects. These ethnic minority groups are
spread across mountainous hard-to-access areas, and often use different spoken languages.
Little detailed information exists regarding their knowledge and attitudes towards
contraception.
Using data obtained from the 2012 baseline survey of the Families and Communities in
Transition research project, this thesis provides a better understanding on contraceptive
knowledge and use among one specific ethnic group, the Thai people in Nghe An, as an
representative example of the others. Two research questions shall be answered: (1) what are
Thai males and females’ knowledge, attitude and practice of contraceptive? , and (2) what
factors are associated with use of contraceptive methods among Thai males and females? By
answering these two questions correctly and completely, this thesis allows an extension of
ways for ethnic people gradually to control births in the coming decades.