Contraceptive Use in Nigeria; Prevalence, Factors Associated with Use and Policy Implications

Modupe Oyindamola Oduwole, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Linnea Zimmerman, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Background-Contraception prevents unintended pregnancies, reducing need for unsafe abortions, and maternal deaths. Despite various interventions, use of contraception in Nigeria has remained very low. Objective-To identify individual, partner and community factors associated with contraceptive use in Nigeria. This would inform design of evidence-based programs to improve contraceptive uptake in Nigeria. Methods-Secondary data analysis of nationally representative PMA2020 data. Bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression model explored association between contraceptive use and independent variables. Results-Women who believed they would get positive perception from the community were 2 times more likely to use contraception. [AOR:2.16(1.75-2.67)]. Women who made contraceptive decisions jointly with their husbands/partners were 7 times more likely to use contraception, than women making sole decisions [AOR:7.13(5.62-9.02)]. Conclusion-Family planning interventions in Nigeria should be prioritized to reduce the burden of maternal mortality. Community and male partner involvement should be integrated in design of family planning programs.