Factors Influencing the Uptake of Short-term Contraceptives Among Women of Reproductive Age in Afghanistan Further Analysis of Afghanistan Demographic and Health Survey 2015 (A Cross Sectional Study)

Abstract ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to assess factors that influence the uptake of short term contraceptives among married women aged between 15-49 years in Afghanistan.MethodThe cross sectional Afghanistan 2015 Demographic and Health Survey provided the dataset for this analysis. We included 22,974 women and applied multivariable logistic regression to investigate the influencing factors for the uptake of short term contraceptives.Results95% of Afghan women knew at least one type of contraception but only 16% were using short term contraceptives. Short term contraceptive use was most prevalent among women in the age group between 30 and 40 who were educated, employed, and rich. Most of users were living in the western parts of Afghanistan and belong to Balooch and Pashtun ethnic groups. Media exposure and women empowerment were also positively associated with the use of short term contraceptives. However, we did not find an association with living in urban or rural settings.ConclusionFP in Afghanistan requires multisectoral efforts, tailored to the needs of women stemming from low and middle socioeconomic status. Health promotion activities, empowering women, strengthening education, and training of Family Planning service providers on effective counseling are good options to address the issue.