Abstract: This paper aims to highlight the contraception related perceptions and practices of the women from an urban slum of Delhi. Methods: Data were gathered from a total of 201 pregnant women (belonging to lower income group) enrolled from a government run maternity clinic by the interview technique . Results: Data revealed that, at the time of conception, as high as 34% of the pregnancies were unwanted. Although the subjects had knowledge of contraception, the usage was very low (33%); and they considered contraception only as a means of limiting the family size which should be adopted once the family is ‘complete’. Son preference, ignorance regarding importance of child spacing, limited control over personal lives and inhibitions/ fallacies regarding contraception were the main reasons behind far lower usage of the contraceptives. Also, lack of knowledge regarding the appropriate methods of contraception, their side-effects (if any), and the authentic source of obtaining also emerged as the hindering factors.