This study IJas pro mpt. e d by a rf'p o rt on mat ", rnn] mortal i t~ ... F.lsRoc l nted 'hi; t h ::\ hi rt h nllmhf'r n f nhnrtionR dll 0. t.o lIn\·lI\ nt, ,.. r-j pr pg n a n c ies, 11 persi strnt hi I( h hi rth rat.e, and th" larg" number of poo rl y spaced pregnanci es . Th e ai m of t h is st.ud"IJas to analyze the use and th" barriers to use of ~ I o dern Co n trace pt ive met h ods a nd to ""amine the o ut. en mp () f un<mnted pregnancies . Several h ypot hpsi s associated IJi th the barri ers to the use o f ~ C were tested . A community b ased s urv e~ , was cnr ri ed out fr om 15 Septpmbe r to 2 October 1987. Th e s tu d"' ; n '-n ho ed t h e u se o f a questionnaire a nd inten-i",,· . The field staff vi s i ted 50 7 hous ing units, compr ising o f 675 " om" n aged 15-49 years . Th e an o n ymous da ta fr om eRch q lJestio nn ni r r was entered e l ec tronically usi n g a n 10M - cnmpatih l c mi c rocomputnr and t h e analysis \Jas carried out lIsi ng the ~ I i c ro s t.nt. a nd SPSS softwar e pac k ages . Among 675 women i nt. e r vie"· ,,d 71 prr c,pnt. o f tiwm hnd "i t h"r t he desire f o r I,n ow l edge o r h ad knowl p dg p o f familS pl a nning. The contr acep ti ve prC'vnl p nre r ntp fr om Ih e study group, f or t hose who harl evpr \ls~d morip rn cnn trn r.pption t.J n c; 25 %, and f o r those Cll r r'ent l~' llsing. Fl1r t.h r.-rmnrc I 5 J% of the women also e ith e r dps ired to li SP or were c urr e ntly us ing Modern Contraeeption . The o ra] C' nnlrn"ppt i '-" m('lh od was b y f a r t h e most pOp" ] a r and most llti lized h >- t h e stud:v group (66 %) . The preferred s ources for most. o f the wome n we r e MOH h e al t h institutions. In t hC'! study gr oup tilosC! Hho 1l :lrJ r'o!'m :l l ,, !I1 1t-;\1 i nn, hi ...; h01~ eco nomi c and b e t tp r oC('\lpnt.ionr-t] c:;ti'1tl l ~, mnrripd ilnd yo unger age group t"ere u s in g the nl tl d n rn rontr:1rr:p t inn mn r p ofte n than their counte r parts . Am 0 n g 1 68 w 0 men h' h 0 ~ \ ' ("' r I I ~ r (1 m 1l rl r r n ;' (' n t- ,- i\ r r> p t i n n t ei ghteen o f them be c- a mr prC' ~ nant· "hi I e' l lsi n g morlf' rn c ontracept.ion . Th e fni l l1 rc- o f thr mr· t h nd ,;~ s h i,, " " s t " it.h co n d 0 m 5 (25 %), f 0 I J 0" p d h >- I 11 h" ] I i 0; n tin n i l 2 X. I, 0 r n I contracept i ve methods (IIX. ) and TUDS I <) r.,) . Among ·169 women h'hn hrf':1111(, r1·1""'[1l1nnt i nduc e rl abor'ti0n o f ,;ili eh 1-2 rtipd . Th e e~ti m [1ted IDat e rn<11 mort(1] i t~· r ntl":> h' a s 7 I r q rr r 10 r.O li ve birth s . Th 8: n nl ~,' q ll!rl~' n il rn~t' rrn~ll Inn rt' " l i +' III Eti1iopin S tl g~p~ts thr r'nt-r tn t, r"' I : I' / I(I() I' li\'("> hir l- hs . The main rp.asons f nr not 11;::,. in~ mf"' (I,.....- 11 rn n'"r,r pp t in n t:r rr irlf'nti fied: I ,- la c k of f:::tctU;ll i~ · !'or m;\ t i n il :11")(1 d(~si rr for additional c hildr e n (12 %) . fea r of f.'ont.rnr·rpti.ve pnmpli ,· :\!· in n s (~%). misco nception s o r f31~('1 jdf" n~. nhollt. PP (()%) opposition by th~ mnl ~ pnrtnrrs a nd Religious/ Culturn] tabons (~% each). Generally, the age of first interrnllrse was "ery close to the start of menarc hf'. Tf'n p"r c(' nt: nf cas p !,; , hnd i nt."rcourse b e fore menR.r c he. l'urthf'rm nrf' , "h"n Ino lting "t t.h" relationship of the age nf thO" '''om" n "hpn the~- had their first child and th"ir first int."r ro "r "~ anr:! m"nnrrIH', we see adol e sc e nt women w"r" at ri ,, ), f o r prpgnancy Rnd t.pmpt.prl to have an ill ega l abortion . Cnnsirlf'ring that many have not ye t established a fami 1 ~- or m"'~' sti 11 be in sc h oo l, significant problems can he expec t ed for thps" adolescents. In addition, also detailed the role nf and finally th" "pn"!';,, 1 n ram i h - P] nnni ng i s the so luti on!'; f o r better serv i ces are indicate d in t he di !';r ll "s ion . Of the tested h ypoth"",,,,, n )l 'Jf're r nnfirmer:! cxcept h~' pothesjs four "hich 'Jas rclnt en In th e r e lat.i o nship o f tl.e ~ri"ate v endo r s nf cont. ra rrp ti vrs . It h nd h prn hypoth esizc r:! t. hat gr p nter nUI1,h"r" "ith o r without presc ripti o n 'Jould be ohtaininl t l,rm fr om private source s . This was not so.