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Meeting women’s demand for contraceptives in Ghana: does autonomy matter?
Authors: D. Yaw Atiglo, and Samuel N. A. Codjoe
Source: Women & Health, 59(4): 347-363; DOI: 10.1080/03630242.2018.1500413
Topic(s): Contraception
Family planning
Unmet need
Women's autonomy
Country: Africa
  Ghana
Published: JUL 2018
Abstract: This study addressed a basic conceptual gap in research on the relationship between women's autonomy and contraceptive behavior and included intention to use in the measure of unmet need for family planning. The study used data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. The weighted sample included 2,017 sexually active, non-pregnant, fecund women in unions, aged 15-49 years who wanted to delay conception for at least two years. The relation of household decision-making autonomy to current contraceptive use and intention was assessed, adjusting for women's socio-demographic, partner and couple characteristics. About half of the women studied had a met demand for contraception, and over a third had no intention to use a contraceptive method in the future. In adjusted multinomial logistic regression models, household decision-making autonomy was not significantly associated with met contraceptive demand for contraceptives but was associated with their intentions to use contraception (p = 0.05). Formal education, age, wealth and region of residence were significantly associated with having a met demand. In Ghana, women's household decision-making autonomy appears to have modest relation to contraceptive uptake. Programs to improve meeting contraceptive demand should consider contextual factors and place differences in contraceptive uptake. KEYWORDS: Contraceptives; Ghana; pregnancy intentions; unmet demand; women’s autonomy