the conversation is better, there is more substance to the conversation about contraception in some way [FGI1] 2.1. Motivates health-promoting actions The RLP was seen as a way to motivate and trigger health-promoting actions, such as protection against sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies or improvement in life style habits. Even those of a young age start to think about things in a different way, I think... ‘perhaps I should take care of myself, not just get the p-pill and then come in every other week for a Chlamydia test. What I do can lead to other things’. [FGI3] 2.2. Women need knowledge about fertility, but the RLP cannot always be prioritized It was stated that women need and have the right to knowledge about fertility and this was important both for preventing unwanted pregnancies and for optimizing preconception health. Some midwives stated the RLP was prioritized over other routine questions, whereas other midwives considered areas such as medical anamneses and screening for domestic violence should have higher priority. I think it is a woman’s right to find out about fertility and how you can affect it and control it [FGI5] 2.3. Disagreement on RLP suitability for all groups A general opinion was that the RLP was suitable for all kinds of women; however, after discussing this in more detail, disagreement arose concerning a wide range of groups. For example, some midwives considered it was an extra important concept for adolescents, whereas others considered it unsuitable for this group. Other groups that were discussed included older women, childless women, women who already had children, single women, women accompanied by their partners, women with intellectual disability, women in the rural areas, women with medical risk factors, and women with other cultural backgrounds and/ or languages. I think... we have some that are... less gifted... who want children, but it may not be appropriate for them to have children and then it may be unsuitable to ask the questions [FGI4] 2.4. Family planning counselling is suitable for RLP discussions The RLP was considered to fall within the scope of the midwives work; there was only disagreement on whether or not it was the midwife’s responsibility to discuss the impact of certain drugs on reproduction. Some midwives had discussed RLP-like matters before, although not in a structured way, whereas, for others, it was a new question. The midwife was found to be the right person to discuss the RLP, as a neutral authority who was considered a safe and trusted person to talk to, and to whom all kinds of women came. The RLP was considered appropriate for all kinds of visits at the midwifery clinics, although less suitable for a woman’s first visit for contraceptive counselling, as the more extensive medical inquiry and comprehensive information about different kinds of contraceptives usually takes more time. Yes, I think there is someone that you should get this information from, and that is definitely the midwife [FGI5] 3. Individual and societal factors influence the RLP counselling Based on previous experiences, the midwives believed many factors could influence the RLP counselling. 3.1. The midwife’s clientele and her prejudices The midwives expressed their clientele determines who they can reach; for example women born abroad seldom visit the midwife for contraceptive counselling and partners are rarely present, however, women with medical risk factors are more common. The midwives also expressed they had prejudices towards different groups, for example youths 1152 Stern et al. Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article/30/5/1146/590484 by guest on 02 February 2022 and certain socioeconomic groups, and this might affect who they approached with questions regarding childbearing. I find it a bit difficult to ask it as a direct question... my own prejudices a 21 year old girl who does not have a steady partner, so it feels a bit awkward... should I ask about it, should I ask a direct question if she hasn’t given any sign that she wants to talk about it herself [FGI2] 3.2. Women’s knowledge, norms and premises The midwives described a great variety of norms and premises for childbearing among the women they meet, depending on their background. Women were also described as having varying knowledge about reproduction, most often less than expected by the midwives. For some women, the lack of knowledge creates unnecessary anxiety, whereas others have a carefree attitude. We think it is so strange that they do not know, but it is really like that... you can keep track of so many other things in the world as mobile phones are updated on everything, but we know very little about how the body works... [FGI4] 3.3. Influences by societal norms and media The midwives acknowledged that societal norms highly influence individuals’ decisions regarding childbearing: women are generally expected to have children, and the norm is to postpone parenthood. Media was also described as influential, picturing celebrities successfully having children at a very advanced age without mentioning the time, costs, and suffering it might have taken. Adolescence is getting longer and you begin to talk about young adults up to the age of 25 or 30 years. Then it’s late ... before you are an adult and have children [FGI3] 4. Long-term