Perceptions, attitude and use of family planning services in post conflict Gulu district, northern Uganda

Abstract

BackgroundNorthern Uganda was severely affected by two decades of civil war that led to the displacement and encampment of an estimated 1.6 million inhabitants. The objective of this study was to assess community perspectives, attitude and factors that influence use of family planning (FP) services in post conflict Gulu district.MethodsWe conducted a cross sectional study using multistage sampling technique. All three counties in the district were purposely selected. Two sub-counties per county and four parishes per sub-county were randomly selected. A total of 24 parishes (clusters) and 21 adult heads of households per cluster were randomly selected and interviewed. In total, 500 adults 117 males (23.4 %) and 383 females (76.6 %) were interviewed. We conducted 8 focus group discussions and 6 key informant interviews with family planning managers and service providers. Quantitative data were entered in EPI data and analyzed using STATA version 12. Qualitative data were analyzed manually using thematic content analysis.ResultsContraceptive prevalence rate was 47.5 %. Communities perceive FP as acceptable, beneficial and geographically, temporally and financially accessible. Factors associated with FP use included age 26–35 years (AOR 1.92, 95 % CI 1.18-3.10, p = 0.008), and 36–45 years (AOR 2.27, 95 % CI 1.21-4.25, p = 0.010), rural residence (AOR = 0.41, 95 % CI 0.24-0.71, p = 0.001), cohabitation (AOR = 2.77, 95 % CI 1.15-6.65, p = 0.023), and being a farmer (AOR 0.59, 95 % CI 0.35-0.97, p = 0.037). The main reason for non-use of family planning was fear of side effects 88.2 %. The main source of FP services was government health facilities 94.2 %.ConclusionUse of family planning is relatively high and communities view FP services as acceptable, beneficial and accessible. Family planning use is mainly determined by age, residence, occupation and marital status. Fear of side effects is the main impediment to FP use. There is need to increase awareness and effectively manage side effects of family planning in the settings.

Perception and attitude of mothers toward family planning in Southern Nigeria

“…this result is also in agreement with findings obtained from studies from other geopolitical zones of nigeria, uganda and Pakistan [7,14,17,18]. Knowledge and awareness of available health care services or risky health behavior among married women could be influenced by education, wealth and media exposure, as demonstrated by a study on awareness and behavior regarding sexually transmitted diseases (stDs) and hIV/aIDs in bangladesh [19].…”

“…Fear of side effects might be the reason relatively few women in this study population opted for hormonal methods. these results, however, contrasted with findings from a study in uganda, where fear of side effects accounted for why a vast majority (88.2%) of respondents in that series would not use a modern contraceptive [18]. Interestingly, respondents in the study in Ibadan, southwest nigeria, would not use modern contraceptives because of concern about certain side effects like stomach ache, menstrual abnormality and loss of fertility [17].…”

The Effects of Education, Poverty, and Resources on Family Planning in Developing Countries

“…Fewer women received information from newspaper, radio, family, relatives, and husband [19]. Another study performed in Gulu District, Northern Uganda shows that the majority (77%) of participants receives the information from public health facilities available in their area and 28% get related information from media [21]. Besides all these people who are present as available sources of information for women of childbearing age, the most reliable source of information regarding contraceptive measures and their usage will remain, doctors, midwives, and lady health workers.…”

Modern contraceptive use among reproductive-aged women in Ghana: prevalence, predictors, and policy implications

“…However, in spite of the wide range of effective modern contraceptive options available to women with its benefits, global statistics indicate low usage with increasing unintended pregnancies both in developed and developing countries [ 4 ]. In Africa, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), research evidence consistently reports low prevalence of use of modern contraception, which translates to high incidence of unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal deaths [ 4 – 6 ]. Poor contraceptive use has mortality and clinical implications.…”