The Use of Long-Acting and Permanent Contraceptive Methods in Kenya.

It is estimated that 25 percent of women and couples in SSA who want to space or limit their births are not using any form of contraception. Unintended pregnancies also continue to be a burden in many countries especially in SSA. Despite long-acting and permanent contraceptive Methods(LAPM) being essential for preventing unintended pregnancies, their use has not kept pace with that of short-acting contraceptive methods. In many countries in the SSA region, fewer than five percent of women LAPM. The study aims to find the prevalence of LAPM use compared to those of short-acting methods. Specifically it will identify the socio-demographic factors that determine the use of LAPMs and find out the association between fertility preference and use of LAPMs. The study uses data from the 2008 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey where a total of 8,444 women of reproductive age were interviewed. Results confirm that the use of LAPMs in Kenya is significantly lower than that of SAMs. A discrepancy also exists between the proportion of women who wish to stop having children and the proportion who are using an LAPM. This therefore calls for amplified efforts to increase provision of LAPMs, as providing women and couples access to a range of contraceptive choices protects their human rights and benefits public health.