Before Pills and Injectables

Abstract

Despite global commitment and mounting investment aimed at improving access to and use of modern methods of contraception, traditional contraceptive practice persists in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) but the scope of the drivers of traditional contraceptive practice are not well known. This study systematically reviewed drivers of traditional contraceptive practice in SSA. A total of eighteen (18) studies reporting on determinants of traditional contraception in SSA published between 1990 and 2019 in English was realized from a search conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar and JSTOR. Most of the studies identified age, education, marital status, socio-economic status, place and region of residence, cultural and religious membership, discussions about family planning, decision-making power, desire for fertility and number of children ever-born as drivers of traditional contraceptive practice in SSA. Traditional contraceptive practice still persists to varying extents in SSA. The findings suggest that the practice of traditional contraception may compete with and even defeat the gains of modern contraception if the two methods are not properly integrated into family planning programs/services. It is therefore imperative to reconsider traditional methods of contraception in SSA and examine how they may complement the use of modern methods.