A woman’s access to health care, in physical, social, and
psychological contexts, depends on her health beliefs and her
socio-economic and demographic background. As in most developing
countries, the health system in Pakistan is a combination of modern and
traditional medicine, and the nature of care sought again depends on the
individual’s health beliefs and background characteristics. This paper
thus not only focuses on whether women seek help or not when sick, but
also on the differentials that exist in the health-seeking behaviour
among women with different backgrounds. It finds that less than half the
women reporting any symptom related to reproductive tract infections
seek help, while for some symptoms the proportion seeking help goes down
to a mere one-fifth. The decision to seek help depends on a woman’s
educational and economic status, the extent to which she is worried
about the symptom, duration of experiencing the symptom, and
inter-spousal communication about the symptom. Lack of finances to
access any health service and considering the symptom as something
common not needing attention are the two main reasons for not seeking
help. The choice of the healthprovider consulted for a symptom is linked
to the perceived cause of the symptom, but allopathic doctors are
preferred by the majority of women seeking health care.