Perceived Partners’ Desire for More Children and Modern Contraceptive Use among Married Women in Uganda

Utilizing the 2011 UDHS, we study the influence of perceived partner’s desire for more children and its effect on current contraceptive use among married women in Uganda. Data herein is based on 5352 married and was weighted before analysis. Descriptive statistics of women’s background characteristics were computed. Multinomial logistic regression models were run to establish the relationship between husbands’ desire for more children with different socioeconomic variables. Overall the variables found to be highly significant with husband’s desire for more children were; modern contraceptive use, wealth, religion, fertility intentions. Women who perceived their husbands to want more children and those who did not know their husbands desired number of children were less likely to use modern contraceptives. In addition, wealth, religion, respondents’ education and husbands’ education levels and are a key determinant for perceived husbands’ desire for more children. Muslim respondents were less likely to know the number of children their husbands desired. we conclude that recurrent couple communication is pertinent in reduction of high fertility levels, promotion of small families and modern contraceptive usage.