Factors influencing the use of modern contraceptive methods among rural women of child bearing age in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

contextThis study reports the unique findings of factors influencing the use of modern contraceptives (MC) among women of childbearing age in Minembwe, a rural community of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

aimsThe study aimed at assessing the contributing factors to the use of MC in African rural communities. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This descriptive study used a structured questionnaire to collect primary data distributed to women after obtaining their consent. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: The data collected were analyzed using IBM-SPSS version 21.0.

resultsTotally, 370 respondents comprising 53.2% women of over 30 years of age. All the 18 health facilities were stock out for both implants and injectable contraceptives during the study period. There were only 3 Medical doctors, 84 Nurses, and 180 other healthcare workers in a population of 86,153 including 18,092 women in reproductive age. About 22.0% spend between 31 and 45 minutes walking to the nearest healthcare facility. The majority (85.7%) of the women did not use any contraceptive. The major factors influencing the uptake of MC are religion inclination (67.4%) disapproval by husbands (40.9%), fear of health problems/side effects (32.6%), and the urge to have more children (20.5%).

conclusionsThere is a need to further enlighten women of rural African communities on the need to use MC methods for birth control and other benefits. There is a need to enlighten the religious and traditional leaders and the community to support the use of family planning in order to minimize maternal and child mortality rate.