Contraceptive continuation and its determinants in Benin

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Family Planning
• Contraception

Background:

• Understanding contraceptive method continuation is vital for effective family planning programs.
• High discontinuation rates can lead to unintended pregnancies and impact public health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the continuation rates of oral contraceptive pills, injections, and intrauterine devices (IUDs) in Benin.
• To identify factors associated with the discontinuation of modern contraceptive methods.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study analyzing 944 questionnaires from new acceptors of contraception in 12 family planning centers.
• Follow-up data collected over an average of 9.5 months.
• Statistical analysis to determine discontinuation rates and associations with age and method type.

Main Results:

• Overall discontinuation rate was significant, with 49.5% not regularly followed and 6.1% discontinuing use.
• One year after initiation, 42.0% of women were at risk of pregnancy.
• Younger women (<20 years) using oral contraceptives had a higher discontinuation rate (37.2% dropout within 3 months) compared to older age groups and other methods.

Conclusions:

• Modern contraceptive methods, particularly oral contraceptives, exhibit high and rapid discontinuation rates, especially among young women.
• Age is a significant factor in oral contraceptive abandonment, but not for injections or IUDs.
• Increased emphasis on counseling programs, particularly in the first three months, is recommended to improve contraceptive continuation.