Unmet Need for Contraception Among Young Married Women in Eastern Ethiopia

Addressing the contraceptive needs of young married women is critical to improve their health and well-being. In patriarchal societies, young married women are under intense pressure to demonstrate their fecundity. Therefore, research that specifically address the needs for contraception of young married women have been generally given less emphasis in Ethiopia. This study assessed the extent of unmet needs for contraception and its associated factors among young married women in Eastern Ethiopia.

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among young married women (14-24 years of age) in Eastern Ethiopia. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The prevalence ratio (PR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was calculated, and factors associated with unmet needs for contraception were identified using log-binomial regression statistical model.

Among 2933 young women interviewed, the unmet need for contraception was 1014 (34.6%; 95% CI, 32.9%-36.4%). The prevalence of unmet needs for contraception decreased with increased young women's household decision-making autonomy score (APR= 0. 76; CI=0.62-0.94). Exposure to family planning (FP) information during the last 12 months (APR= 1.24; CI=1.1-1.42), age 18 or more years (APR=1.25; CI=1.04-1.5), multiparty (APR= 1. 9; CI=1.7-2.1) and desire to have 5 children or lesser than 5 children (APR= 1. 2; CI=1.06-1.32) were associated with higher prevalence of unmet needs for contraception.

One-third of married young women had unmet needs for contraception. More efforts to empower women to make decisions that affect their own life and providing appropriate family planning information are necessary to reduce the burden of unmet needs among young married women in rural settings in Ethiopia.