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Contraceptive Empowerment (WGE-SRH Index Contraceptive Empowerment Subscale)

The Contraceptive Empowerment measure is an 8 item measure of the existence and exercise of contraceptive choice. It is a subscale of the Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in Sexual and Reproductive Health (WGE-SRH) Index, and is tested in seven countries across sub-Saharan Africa.

Categories

Geographies Tested: Burkina Faso,Democratic Republic of the Congo,Cote d'Ivoire,Kenya,Niger,Nigeria,Uganda

Populations Included: Female

Age Range: Adolescents, Adults

Items:

Existence of Choice<\u>
1. If I use family planning, my husband/partner may seek another sexual partner*
2. If I use family planning, I may have trouble getting pregnant the next time I want to*
3. There could be/will be conflict in my relationship/marriage if I use family planning*
4. If I use family planning, my children may not be born normal*
5. If I use family planning, my body may experience side effects that will disrupt my relations*

Exercise of Choice<\u>
6. I can/could decide to switch from one family planning method to another if I want to
7. I feel confident telling my provider what is important when selecting a family planning method
8. If I want to use contraception, I can tell my husband/partner

Response Options:
5-point Likert Scale
Strongly disagree - 1
Neither agree nor disagree - 3
Strongly agree - 5

*Items are reverse scored

Scoring Procedures

Mean scores are calculated, with possible scores ranging from 1-5. Higher scores indicate greater empowerment.

Original Citation

Karp, C., Wood, S. N., Omoluabi, E., OlaOlorun, F. M., Akilimali, P. Z., Kibira, S. P. S., Makumbi, F., Guiella, G., Gichangi, P., & Moreau, C. (2025). Evaluating contraceptive empowerment among women and girls in Sub-Saharan Africa: Validation of the Women's and Girls' Empowerment in Sexual and Reproductive Health (WGE-SRH) Index Contraceptive Empowerment Subscale. Studies in Family Planning. https://doi.org/10.1111/sifp.70011


Psychometric Score

Ease of Use Score

Scoring breakdown

Formative Research

Qualitative Research

Existing Literature/Theoretical Framework

Field Expert Input

Cognitive Interviews / Pilot Testing

Reliability

Internal

Test-retest

Interrater

Validity

Content

Face

Criterion (gold-standard)

Construct

KEY

Ease of Use

Readability

Scoring Clarity

Length

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