How does the rise in contraceptive usage predict pregnancy termination among young women in Kenya? an in-depth...

Young women were less likely to practise consistent contraceptive use and are also known to exhibit risky sexual behaviours, which could lead to unintended pregnancy. Studies have also shown that about half of the Kenyan population is young, an age bracket that predominantly experiences unwanted pregnancy. However, adequate attention has not been given to the relationship between pregnancy termination and contraceptive use among this teeming population in Kenya. Thus, this study examined the association between pregnancy termination history and contraceptive use among women aged 15-24 years old in Kenya.

A total of 12,166 women aged 15-24 years old from Kenya were drawn using a secondary dataset from the most recent Kenya Demographic Health Surveys conducted in the year 2022. Frequency distribution and multilevel logistic regression analyses were employed to determine the association between contraceptive use and pregnancy termination history among young women aged 15-24 years old with covariates at p < 0.05.

The results showed that the higher percentage of contraceptive users among young women are those aged 15-19 years (50.1%); consequently, a higher percentage of pregnancy termination was also found among women who reported the use of contraceptive methods (6.2%) compared to 2.9% among non-users. The main findings of the study showed that young women who reported using contraceptives were more likely to have a history of pregnancy termination [aOR = 1.03; 95% CI: 0.80-1.26] compared to those who were non-users. Also, age, marital status, and parity are significantly associated with the history of pregnancy termination.

Our analyses established an association between history of contraceptive use and termination of pregnancy among young women between 20 and 24 years in Kenya. Place of residence, age, wealth index, level of education, and met needs of children have been identified as risk factors. Intervention to reduce pregnancy termination in Kenya should focus on women aged 20-24 years, those with no formal education, urban residence, and women with met need for children.