Contraceptive use among young women in northern Ghana: a community-based study

Abstract

Objective The aim of the study was to assess factors influencing contraceptive uptake among young women aged 15–24 years in Bolgatanga Municipal District, northern Ghana. Methods An analytical cross-sectional community-based study was conducted between December 2015 and April 2016. Participants (N = 580) were selected through multistage sampling and interviewed using a pretested structured questionnaire. Results The mean age of the participants was 20.5 years (standard deviation 2.8 years). About a third were less than 20 years old. Contraceptive knowledge was nearly universal (99.7%). About 67% of sexually experienced young women had used contraceptives, but less than a quarter had used long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). Age was the only independent predictor of contraceptive use: women in their 20s were more than twice as likely as adolescents to use contraceptives (adjusted relative risk 2.75; 95% confidence interval 2.04, 3.71; p < 0.001). Conclusion Strategies to improve contraceptive uptake among young people in the municipality should encourage the use of LARC.