An Overview of Internal and External Factors in the Selection of Intrauterine Devices (IUDs) Among Family Planning Acceptors

Abstract

The Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in Indonesia remains high, prompting the government to promote Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) such as the Intrauterine Device (IUD). However, IUD uptake at Abang I Health Center is still low compared to short-term methods like injections and pills. This study aims to describe the internal and external factors influencing IUD selection among family planning acceptors at Abang I Health Center. The research method used is descriptive with a cross-sectional approach involving 62 respondents selected via purposive sampling. Data were collected using validated questionnaires and analyzed descriptively. The results showed that the majority of respondents were in the reproductive age of 21–35 years (77.0%), all respondents (100%) had secondary education, most were multipara (72.1%), and had low income (57.4%). The acceptors' internal knowledge level was entirely in the "fair" category (100%), while external factors (support from husbands and health workers) were entirely in the "good" category (100%). The study concludes that IUD selection is influenced by the maturity of age and parity of the acceptors and is very strongly supported by external factors that compensate for the limitations in internal technical knowledge.