Analysis of contraceptive use among homeless women in Kenya – a case of Nairobi county

Abstract

Abstract Many factors influence the utilization of reproductive healthcare services in Kenya. Despite the effort by the government and other stakeholders to improve access and utilization of these services, there remains a major challenge in reaching out to marginalized segments of society. The study aims to examine the factors affecting the utilization of modern contraceptives by homeless women in Nairobi, Kenya, and draw policy recommendations based on the findings. The study utilized the logit model to analyze determinants of contraceptive utilization by homeless women in Nairobi using primary data collected from 196 households within Nairobi. The number of children per woman, age at first birth, living with a partner, drug abuse by the respondent, drug abuse by respondents’ partner, poverty, child planning, health facility delivery, neonatal death incidence, knowledge of male sterilization, never attending school, primary school attendance, secondary school attendance, operating of small business and contraceptive spending significantly affect the utilization of modern contraceptives by homeless women in Nairobi, Kenya. The majority of homeless women in Nairobi utilized injectibles (26.63%) and implants (24.07%) as a form of contraception. The government should therefore provide a contraceptive mix that incorporates these forms of contraception to ensure maximum utilization.