Between the Norm and Practice: Women’s Experience of Contraception in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic in the 1970s and Early 1980s

This study aims to examine the range of contraceptive methods used by women in Kazakhstan during the 1970s and 1980s. Although studies have shown that contraception in the Soviet Union was not solely limited to abortion, researchers have rarely explored this topic in depth. The goal of this research is to provide a view on contraception from the perspective of women, rather than the state, by uncovering their strategies for selecting contraceptive methods. Another aspect of this study is to understand how the state's pro-natal policies influenced women's access to and experience of contraception, illuminating the complexities of reproductive health in this remote region. By using a multi-method approach that combines oral history and critical analysis of existing literature, this research aims to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the landscape of contraceptive practices in Kazakhstan at that time.By analyzing the oral narratives of women who lived in Soviet Kazakhstan, alongside periodical press and other historical sources, this research aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of contraceptive norms and practices in the region. It critically examines existing literature on Soviet reproductive policy, contextualizing the experiences of contraception within the social and political contexts of the time. The study primarily relies on oral history interviews to analyze the attitudes towards contraception, social norms, and the diverse strategies used by women in choosing contraceptive methods. These findings shed light on the complexities of decision-making surrounding contraception, revealing the differences between societal expectations and lived realities.Overall, this research contributes to a more complete understanding of reproductive history in the Soviet Union. It gives voice to those who have been silenced and reveals the dynamics of contraceptive use among women in the Kazakh SSR.