Abstract
Objective Reproductive-aged women living on the street, with no doubt, are with lesser benefits of exercising their reproductive rights. Pregnancies from this marginalized population are likely to be unplanned, unwanted, and unsupported. The aim of this study, therefore, was to assess modern contraception utilization and associated factors among street reproductive-aged women in Amhara regional state zonal towns. Method A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among street reproductive-aged women in Amhara regional state zonal towns. A single population proportion formula was used to calculate the sample size, a similar literature-based tool adaptation was done, and a semistructured, pretested sectioned questionnaire was used. Cluster sampling technique was used to reach the study participants. Data was entered into Epi Info version 7 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. A multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to control the possible effect of confounders, and finally, the independent variables were identified on the basis of OR, with 95% CI and p values less than 0.05. Results 604 street reproductive-aged women were interviewed in the study which make the response rate 94.2%. The study revealed that current modern contraceptive utilization among the study participants was found to be 38.9%. Having history of pregnancy in street life (AOR = 1.70, 1.1-2.7), having three or more live children (AOR = 6.4, 2.0-20.4), undesiring to have additional children in the future (AOR = 2.7, 1.4-5.1), mentioning three to four (AOR = 2.2, 1.5-3.3) and five or more modern contraceptive types (AOR = 5.5, 1.4-21.0), and discussion with sexual partners for contraceptive use (AOR = 6.6, 4.3-10.1) were variables significantly associated with modern contraceptive utilization. Modern contraceptive utilization among the street reproductive-aged women was low. Authors suggest that awareness creation and male partner involvement in the maternal services may be important to increase contraceptive utilization.
Highlights
Contraceptives are one of the most important health interventions of the 21st century which is crucial in reducing rapid population growth and improving women and family health [1]
According to the finding of this study, 38.9% of the participants were currently using modern contraceptives. This current modern contraceptive utilization is comparable with findings among slum dwellers in Nairobi, Kenya (37.9%), and street beggar women in South Ethiopia (37.4%) [26, 27]
This finding is lower than findings in Dehradun city, India (56.8%), an urban slum in Pune (68.5%), and urban slum dwellers of Bangladesh (53.2%) [26,27,28,29,30]. This discrepancy could be due to previous studies including traditional methods of contraceptives like the lactational amenorrhea method (LAM) which might increase the prevalence and, in addition, sociodemographic differences among the study participants
Summary
Contraceptives are one of the most important health interventions of the 21st century which is crucial in reducing rapid population growth and improving women and family health [1]. The Sustainable Development Goals targeted to expand access to family planning under its target point of 3.7 [2]. Planning saves lives and improves quality of life of women, children, and family at large. It prevents pregnancy-related health risks in women, infant mortality, sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV/AIDS, and adolescent pregnancies and slows population growth [3, 4]. Reports showed that one-quarter of maternal deaths could be averted by appropriately using contraception [5].
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