Abstract |
This paper uses data from the 1989, 1993 and 1998 Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys to examine trends and determinants of contraceptive method choice. The analysis, based on two-level multinomial regression models, shows that, across years, use of modern contraceptive methods, especially long-term methods is higher in the urban than rural areas, while the pattern is reversed for traditional methods. Use of barrier methods among unmarried women is steadily rising, but the levels remain disappointingly low, particularly in view of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Kenya. One striking result from this analysis is the dramatic rise in the use of injectables. Of particular program relevance is the notably higher levels of injectables use among rural women, women whose partners disapprove of family planning, uneducated women and those less exposed to family planning media messages, compared to their counterparts with better service accessibility and family planning information exposure |