The Prevention of Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH) Study in Indonesia offered a preventive health intervention that was designed to lower the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage. The 1,811 pregnant women were offered counseling about the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage and misoprostol, a medication known to prevent postpartum hemorrhage. The study provided positive evidence that trained and supervised community volunteers can successfully provide PPH prevention information and safely distribute misoprostol to those women who are unlikely to be attended by skilled providers. A qualitative component of the study was completed to better understand the role of family members and other influential people on women's health seeking decisions. The study included in-depth interviews and focus group discussions among 20 study participants and 70 community members, including midwives, traditional birth attendants, and community volunteers. The study demonstrated that misoprostol was safely used in a self-directed manner among study participants who had home deliveries in the intervention area. Interview transcripts from participant in this predominantly Muslim country revealed positive evidence that:

• Women made independent choices to participate in the study
• Women accepted and acted on counseling information from community volunteers 
• Families were actively involved in birth preparedness, including intervention acceptance
• Family members influenced the use of traditional compared to skilled providers

Findings from the PPH Study clearly confirm the strong relationship between decision-making and intervention acceptability within communities. The presentation will discuss the impact of partners and family members related to this key preventive health behavior, within the cultural context of Indonesia.