Background: The postpartum period is a critical time to improve maternal and child health. It is a time for accessing contraceptives to prevent short inter-pregnancy intervals. More than 95% of postpartum women do not want to get pregnant within 12 months. However, many women in Ethiopia experience an unintended pregnancy, and there is low information about postpartum contraceptive use among women who have family planning demand. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of postpartum contraceptive use and its predictors among women who give birth 12 months before the survey in Ethiopia. Methods: We used the 2016 Ethiopia demographic health survey data for this analysis. The survey was a communitybased cross-sectional study conducted from January 18 to June 27, 2016. The survey employed a two-stage stratified cluster sampling technique. A total of 2304 postpartum women were included. Bivariate and multivariable logistics regressions were done to identify factors associated with postpartum contraceptive use. A p-value < 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. Results: About 23.7% (23.7, 95% CI: 20.7-27.0%) of postpartum women were using modern contraceptives. Women who were urban residents (AOR = 2.18; 95%CI: 1.34-3.55), those who attended secondary or higher education (AOR = 1.79; 95%CI: 1.04-3.10), women who attended 1-3 (AOR = 2.33; 95%CI:1.27-4.25) or 4 or more ANC visits (AOR = 2.59; 95%CI:1.43-4.69) and women who delivered at a health facility (AOR = 1.86; 95%CI: 1.23-2.81) had higher odds of modern contraceptive use during the postpartum period. Similarly, women who reported the last child was no more wanted (AOR = 1.83; 95%CI: 1.01-3.31), women who decided for contraceptive use (AOR = 2.03; 95%CI: 1.13-3.65) and women whose recent child was male (AOR = 1.38; 95%CI: 1.01-1.88) had higher odds of modern contraceptive use. Conclusion: Postpartum contraceptive use was low in Ethiopia. Strengthening health facility delivery, promoting girls' education and encouraging women's participation in deciding for contraceptive use would improve the uptake of modern contraceptives use during the postpartum period.

Background. Lack of an appropriate management practice of healthcare waste is a potential threat to the healthcare workers, patients, and nearby communities of the health institutions. Objective. The study aimed to assess the healthcare waste management practices (HCWMP) and associated factors among healthcare workers of private and public hospitals of Bahir Dar city administration, Ethiopia. Methods. A facility-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2016 to April 2017. The systematic random sampling technique was employed to recruit 460 healthcare workers. The collected data entered into the EpiData software (version 3.1). The analysis was done by using SPSS software (version 20). Descriptive statistics were computed; logistic regression model was run. The model fitness was checked using Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness of fit p > 0.05 . A p value of < 0 . 2 at univariate analysis was included in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. Variables with a p value of <0.05 were statistically associated with healthcare waste management practice at 95% CI (AOR). Results. A total of 418 healthcare workers who participated in the study yielded a response of 90.9%. About 65% (95% CI: 61, 70) of the total respondents had good practice of healthcare waste management. More private hospitals, 79.2% (95% CI: 73, 85), had good healthcare waste management practice compared to public hospitals, 53.5% (95% CI: 47, 60). Male healthcare workers (AOR = 6. 43, 95% CI: 1.82, 22.77) and having a functional healthcare waste management committee (AOR = 6. 47, 95%CI: 1.93, 21.76) were significantly associated with HCWMP at private hospitals. For public hospitals, having a healthcare waste management committee (AOR = 1. 80, 95% CI: 1.03, 3.15) and a manual/guideline on HCWMP (AOR = 2. 43, 95% CI: 1.20, 4.91) was significantly associated with HCWMP. Conclusions. This study revealed there is a great discrepancy in HCWMP between private and public hospitals. Male healthcare workers and having a functional healthcare waste management committee and a manual/guideline were the identified factors of HCWMP.

Background Globally, divorce is a common phenomenon in couples' marital life. As a result, many divorced couples and their children face several social, economic, and health problems after dissolution. There is little information on the magnitude and determinants of divorce in developing countries including Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of divorce from the first union and its predictors among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia. Methods We used the 2016 Ethiopia demographic and health survey data for this analysis. The survey was a community-based cross-sectional study conducted from January 18 to June 27, 2016. The survey employed a two-stage stratified cluster sampling technique. A total of 11,646 ever-married women were included in the analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistics regression was done to identify the determinants of divorce from the first marriage. A p-value < 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. Results About 25% (95%CI: 23.4% - 26.6%) ever-married women were divorced from their first marital relationship. Women who were married at age < 15 years (AOR = 1.34; 95%CI: 1.07–1.68), urban women (AOR = 1.69; 95%CI: 1.22–2.35), women who did not attend formal education (AOR = 4.36; 95%CI: 3.14–6.05), women who were employed (AOR = 1.51; 95%CI: 1.31–1.73), and being childless (AOR = 1.34; 95%CI: 1.07–1.69) had higher odds of experiencing a divorce. Similarly, women who experienced partner violence, women with no house ownership, and women in the Amhara region had higher odds of divorce from their first marital union. Conversely, women in Oromia, SNNPR, the metropolis, and the pastoral regions had lower odds of divorce from their first marital union. Conclusion Divorce from the first marriage is high in Ethiopia. Preventing early marriage and partner violence and promoting girls’ education would reduce the divorce rate in Ethiopia.

Background. Ethiopia is one of the Sub-Saharan African countries with a high unmet need for contraceptives. Contraception is a good indicator of the extent to which couples have access to reproductive health services. A study on contraceptives can provide overall direction by helping to identify the obstacles in society and weaknesses in services that need to be overcome. However, little is known in Amhara region context. Therefore, this analysis was aimed to assess modern contraceptive use and influencing factors in the Amhara regional state of Ethiopia. Methods. We used secondary data analysis of the regional representative sample of women aged 15–49 years from the 2016 Ethiopian Demography and Health Survey (EDHS). A total of 2207 married reproductive-age women (15–49 years) selected using a two-stage stratified cluster sampling technique were included in this analysis. Both descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed using STATA V.14. A 95% confidence interval was used to declare statistical significance. Results. Modern contraceptive use among married reproductive-age women was 51.3% (95% CI: 47.0–55.6). Being from households with rich wealth index (AOR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.1–2.5), a secondary or higher level of education (AOR = 3.0; 95% CI: 1.4–6.2), and desire to space (AOR = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.9–3.7) or want no more child (AOR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.6–3.5) were found positively associated with modern contraceptive use. On the other hand, modern contraceptive use was negatively associated with women aged 35–49 years (AOR = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.5–0.9). Conclusion. Modern contraceptive use was relatively high in the Amhara region. The odds of modern contraceptive use were higher among women with secondary or more educational levels. Women from households with rich wealth index and those who want to delay or avoid pregnancy had also more odds of using modern contraceptives. Therefore, strengthening women’s and community education could improve modern contraceptive use. Moreover, more emphasis should be given for income generation activities.

Background. Implanon discontinuation is unacceptably high in developing countries, including Ethiopia. Furthermore, there is an observed problem of high unintended pregnancy after method discontinuation that strides to program failure. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the level and determinants of Implanon discontinuation among women who used Implanon in Andabet district, public health facilities, North-West Ethiopia, 2017. Methods. Facility-based cross-sectional study design was employed among 537 women from Feb. 03 to April 28, 2017. Study participants were selected using a systematic random sampling technique. A face-to-face interview was employed to collect data. Epi-Info version 7 was used for data entry and SPSS version 20 for analysis. Both descriptive and analytical statistical analysis was computed. On multivariable binary logistic regression, a p value of less than 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. Results. About 37% of Implanon users have discontinued the method before the intended time. About 86% of them discontinued Implanon before two years of insertion. Women who had no live child ( AOR = 2.17 , 95% CI: 1.25-3.77), women who did not receive preinsertion counseling ( AOR = 1.85 , 95% CI: 1.15-2.97), women who developed Implanon-related side effect ( AOR = 5.17 , 95% CI: 3.18-8.40), and women who did not satisfy by the service provided ( AOR = 5.40 , 95% CI: 3.04-9.57) had higher odds of Implanon discontinuation. On the other hand, women who received appointment follow-up ( AOR = 0.23 , 95% CI: 0.13-0.41) had lower odds of Implanon discontinuation. Conclusions. The level of Implanon discontinuation before its intended time was high in the district. Hence, strengthening preinsertion counseling and appointment follow-up as well as improving the clients’ level of service satisfaction could increase Implanon’s continuation.