Recognizing and Addressing the Contraceptive Hesitancy-Acceptability Continuum: Adopting Lessons Learned From the Immunization Field

<h3>Key Messages</h3> Given the similarities the family planning (FP) and immunization fields share, we recommend that the FP community consider adopting vaccine hesitancy lessons to take a promising new measurement, investigation, and programming direction. Specifically, building from the 5C scale for measuring vaccine hesitancy—with its components of confidence, constraints, complacency, calculation, and collective responsibility—the FP community can develop and use a new framework to identify and track the major drivers of contraceptive-related behaviors at individual- and community-levels, dubbed the “contraceptive hesitancy-acceptability continuum.” The continuum helps to reorient FP’s measurement approach from a largely binary focus on contraceptive use/non-use, need/met need to a multifaceted focus on the psychosocial context in which individuals make and act on decisions about their reproductive lives. Ultimately, this measurement reorientation will better position FP programs to help address individuals’ sexual and reproductive health needs, aspirations, and rights.