Women’s Attitude, Barriers and Intention to Use Long Acting and Permanent Contraceptive Methods among Short Term Users, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2013-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Abeba University
Abstract
Background: In Africa the use of long acting and permanent family planning methods (LAPMs) has not
kept pace with that of short-acting methods, such as oral contraceptives and injectables. The utilization of
contraceptive methods was dominated by short-term methods in Ethiopia as 21% of women used
injectables, 3.4% used implants, 0.5% used female sterilization and 0.3% used intrauterine devices.
Objective: To assess the association of women’s awareness, attitude and barriers with the intention to use
LAPMs among short term users in Wolaita zone, Southern Ethiopia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study using both quantitative and qualitative methods was conducted in public
health institutions of Wolaita zone from October 2012 to May 2013. Among six health institutions in the
study three were chosen by systematic random sampling technique from rural while the other three reform
town health centers were included. A total sample size of 416 was used for the quantitative study. Eleven
in-depth interviews held to explore women’s and provider’s perceptions and opinions. Data were entered
into EPI Info version 3.5.3 and it was also edited, cleaned, and analyzed using SPSS version 16.0.
Moreover, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression model with crude and adjusted OR along with their
95% confidence interval were used.
Results: Among 411 women participated in the study, only 156(38%) had the intention to use LAPMs in
the future. More than half 216 (52.6%) had a negative attitude to use these methods. Furthermore, 276
(67.2%) had myths and misconception about these methods. Women who had no myths and misconception
on LAPM were (AOR= 1.71: 95% CI (1.08, 2.72) times more likely to use LAPMs compared with those
who had myths and misconception. Moreover, the odds of women’s intention to use LAPMs were
(AOR=2. 10: 95% CI (1.11, 3.98) and AOR=2.80: 95% CI (1.15, 6.77) times higher among women who
attained secondary and higher level of education compared with women with no education, respectively.
Likewise, the women who had positive attitude were (AOR =2. 47: 95% CI (1.48, 4.11) times more likely
to desire LAPMs compared with a woman who had a negative attitude on these methods.
Conclusion and recommendations: Most of the women had low intention to use LAPMs. Similarly, more
than half of the participants had a negative attitude, myths & misconception on these methods. The
government should focus on empowering women and increasing their educational level. There must be
great emphasis on educating communities to change the attitude, myths and misconceptions.
Description
Keywords
LAPMs, intention, attitude, myths& misconceptions, Wolaita zone, Ethiopia