Long acting contraceptive utilization and associated factors among women using modern contraceptive methods in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Globally, around 41% unintended pregnancies occurred during 2008, and some of these unintended pregnancies occurred among women who were not using contraceptives. Long acting methods of contraception can make a significant contribution to decrease unintended pregnancy. The aim of this study was to assess long acting contraceptive use and its associated factors.

Methods: A community based cross-sectional study design that used multi-stage sampling technique.  A total of 565 women were included in the study. Multivariate logistic regression model was fitted to identify the independent predictors.

Results: In this study, the proportion of long acting contraceptive methods utilization was found to be 18.1%. The independent predictors of utilization were number of live children, intention for the next pregnancy, and educational status of the respondent, occupation of the respondent’s knowledge about long acting contraceptive methods and discussion with the partner intention of the next pregnancy.

Conclusion: The utilization of long acting contraceptive methods was found to be suboptimal compared to similar studies in Ethiopia. There is a need of interventions on having three or more alive children, being employed, being secondary and above in educational status, and having discussion with the husband. Counseling of clients and partner discussion were some of the recommendations.