Reproductive Decision-Making: What Type of Social Support do Women Living in Victoria, Australia Seek and Are They Satisfied?

Aim: This paper describes the social support women aged 25-35 years living in Victoria, Australia draw on during the reproductive decision-making process specific to the type of support they seek and their satisfaction with that support.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study that collected data through an online questionnaire administered via Qualtrics. This included both closed- and open-ended questions, exploring women's experiences of receiving social support for reproductive decision-making, the types of support they sought, and their satisfaction with the support received. Using convenience sampling, we recruited 234 women aged 25-35 years.

Results: The women highlighted a myriad of factors that influenced their experiences of seeking and receiving support (or not), both positively and negatively. These included individual or micro-level factors (e.g., interpersonal relationships); contextual factors (e.g., issue and/or time-dependent); and macro/societal level factors (e.g., social attitudes and norms). The type of support depends on the reproductive decision, with women employing strategies to enhance their satisfaction with support.

Conclusion: These findings are important to inform and advocate for future public health and social policy to support women's decision-making and overall health and wellbeing related to their reproductive autonomy.