Housewives’ Media Exposure and Reproductive Health Awareness: A Case of Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract

Media plays a significant role as a useful source of information. It is a key factor in creating health awareness and helps women to get health information. It also increases women’s interest in their well-being. Reproductive health awareness is crucial for the healthiness of housewives. This research was an effort to know the current health practices of married women in Lahore Pakistan. Focus was paid to explore the role of media in spreading awareness about reproductive health among women. Qualitative research methodology was used. Two techniques of non-probability sampling including purposive for housewives and snowball samplings for gynecologists were applied to get information from the most relevant respondents. Data was collected through in-depth interviews, five gynecologists and twenty housewives were interviewed. Themes were derived from qualitative data that were aligned with some of existing studies that women get information about health but there are certain factors which minimize the effects of media in this regard. This study concluded that reproductive health is mainly affected by ignorance, cultural norms and socio-economic condition of family. Though media exposure plays important role in providing awareness to women yet traditional health practices still prevail with life-threatening consequences.