Arthur Baguma
15 November 2009
Kampala — DESPITE having one of the highest fertility rates in the world, few married women in Uganda use contraception. Compared to other countries in the region, Uganda trails in family planning use.
According to the demographic health survey 2006, the proportion of married women using contraception in Uganda is only 24%, almost half of Kenya's 45%.
In the region, Kenya has the highest percentage of married women using contraception at 45%, followed by Rwanda (36%) and Tanzania (26%). However Uganda fairs better than Ethiopia which is at 15%.
The survey shows that both modern and traditional methods are used. In Kenya, 39% of married women use modern contraceptives, compared to 6% who use traditional methods.
In Uganda, 18% of married women use modern methods of contraception, compared to 6% who use traditional methods.
Tanzania has 20% of married women using modern contraceptives, while only 6% use traditional methods. In Rwanda, 9% of married women use traditional contraceptive methods, o while 27% use modern methods of contraception.
Organised family planning programmes began in the 1960s to make modern contraception available to women and couples who wanted to limit child bearing.
Today 62% of married women worldwide use some form of contraception, 55% using modern methods. In sub-Saharan Africa, 21% of women use some form of contraception, while 16% use a modern method.
The modern methods of contraception include hormonal methods such as injectables like Depo-Provera, birth control pills and implants, female and male sterilisation, intrauterine device (IUDs), barrier methods such as the male or female condom, diaphragm and cervical cap and chemical spermicides in form of jelly or foam.
Traditional methods include periodic abstinence and withdrawal. In East Africa, as in most of sub-saharan Africa, injectables are the most popular method, followed by the pill.
However no contraceptive method is 100% effective at preventing pregnancy. The most effective methods are those that are long-acting (IUDs) and implants) or permanent (sterilisation) because they do not rely on users behaviour.
Unmet need for contraception
According to the Population Reference Bureau, unmet need for family planning is still a big challenge in sub-Saharan Africa.
More than one-fifth of married women in East Africa who would have loved to space, delay or stop a birth, are not accessing contraception. Uganda has the highest percentage of unmet need for family planning at 41%, Rwanda follows with 38%. Kenya and Tanzania have the lowest at 25% and 22%, respectively.
Unmet need for family planning is highest among women with a primary school education.
This is because women with more education are more likely to be using contraception, while those with no education generally want more children.
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