Open access journal of contraception最新文献

{"title":"Demographic, Sociocultural, and Behavioral Predictors of Modern Contraceptive Uptake Among Couples in Northern Ghana.","authors":"Naa-Korkor Allotey, Samuel Adolf Bosoka","doi":"10.2147/OAJC.S430288","DOIUrl":"10.2147/OAJC.S430288","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Despite efforts to increase modern contraceptive use in Ghana, prevalence rates remain low; particularly in Northern Ghana. This study, therefore, sought to determine the predictors of modern contraceptive use among couples in Northern Ghana. This research was the baseline assessment for a broader study aimed at determining the effect of an intervention to improve outcomes of modern contraception.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study was a cross-sectional design. Data was collected from 508 couples (1016 participants), using a multistage sampling technique; both members of each couple were interviewed separately. Univariate and stepwise multivariate logistic regression were used to identify predictors associated with modern contraceptive use. Qualitative data were analyzed to triangulate the findings from the quantitative data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>More than 97% of couples were Muslims. Qualitative data indicates that Muslims are less inclined to use Modern Contraceptives. Most participants had no education. The regression model shows that all demographic characteristics were not significant in Model 3 for men. Socio-culturally, men who gave the reason of \"unconcerned\" for men's non-involvement in contraceptive adoption, had less odds of using modern contraception (AOR=0.19). Men with high subjective norms were more than 15 times more likely to use modern contraception. Female farmers were less likely to use contraceptives (AOR= 0.45). Women who reported that \"nothing prevented men\" from getting involved in contraceptive adoption had greater odds of adopting modern contraception (AOR= 11.15). Women with good perceived behavioral control were more likely to use modern contraception (AOR=5.03). Women with high enacted stigma and men and women with high interspousal communication were more likely to adopt modern contraception.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Taking cognizance of demographic and sociocultural characteristics and behavioral constructs is needed when determining the predictors of modern contraceptive use among couples in Northern Ghana.</p>","PeriodicalId":74348,"journal":{"name":"Open access journal of contraception","volume":"15 ","pages":"23-40"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10941790/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140144818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"United States Government-Supported Family Planning and Reproductive Health Outreach in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Lessons Learned and Recommendations.","authors":"Sahra Ibrahimi, Bamba Youssouf, Christine Potts, Alexandre Dumouza, Rani Duff, Landry-Serges Malaba, Bettina Brunner","doi":"10.2147/OAJC.S446263","DOIUrl":"10.2147/OAJC.S446263","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In response to limited contraception availability and a lack of knowledge about family planning (FP) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Integrated Health Program (IHP) in the DRC has been providing FP services, including outreach programs in the DRC. Our study aims to assess the FP outreach program by understanding the participants' perception of the campaign, its impact on their behavior, and their feedback regarding the campaign. Additionally, we draw insights from lessons learned and provide recommendations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Between July and August 2022, we conducted 47 in-person participant interviews with women of reproductive age who used the outreach services provided by USAID IHP. Participants were randomly selected from Sud-Kivu, Kasai-Oriental, Haut-Katanga, and Tanganyika provinces. Consent and confidentiality were assured, and responses were recorded and transcribed in a Word document. We used Excel for data coding and analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The campaign reached 95.7% of women interviewed; however, some participants could not recall specific message details. Most respondents (89.3%) reported that the campaign motivated them to make FP decisions and change their behaviors. While 14.8% of women reported making FP decisions independently, 85.1% reported making the decision jointly with their partners. Our analysis resulted in three emerging themes: 1) Increased FP outreach and improved perception of FP, 2) Improved perceived behavioral changes due to FP outreach, and 3) The need for program improvement by including men and providing additional information about possible FP side effects.</p><p><strong>Implications: </strong>Our study provides insights into how women receive information and whether they find it useful and share it with other women in their community. In particular, women's feedback about the FP outreach program and our recommendations can inform future policies and interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":74348,"journal":{"name":"Open access journal of contraception","volume":"15 ","pages":"13-21"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10929168/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140112355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adherence to Modern Contraceptives Among Female Refugee Adolescents in Northern Uganda: A Prospective Single Cohort Study.","authors":"Ritah Bakesiima, Kristina Gemzell-Danielsson, Jolly Beyeza-Kashesya, Amanda Cleeve, Elin C Larsson, Rose Chalo Nabirye","doi":"10.2147/OAJC.S430813","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/OAJC.S430813","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Contraceptive adherence is the current and consistent use of a contraceptive method as prescribed by a health worker or family planning provider so as to prevent pregnancy. Globally, adherence is lowest among adolescents. This has greatly contributed to the high burden of adolescent pregnancies. Adherence and reasons for discontinuation among refugee adolescents are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to determine the rates and predictors of adherence to modern contraceptives among female refugee adolescents in northern Uganda.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a prospective single cohort study, nested into a randomised controlled trial (RCT) assessing the effect of peer counselling on acceptance of modern contraceptives. The RCT was conducted among female refugee adolescents in Palabek refugee settlement, northern Uganda. The study involved 272 new starters of modern contraceptives who were followed up for six months from May 2019 to January 2020. The outcome was measured at one, three, and six months after receiving a contraceptive method, and the predictors of adherence were determined using Generalised Estimating Equations (GEE). Data were analysed using STATA version 14.0.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Adherence rates were low and reduced over time. By the end of the six months, only 44% of the participants were using a contraceptive method. Participants using long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) were more likely to adhere compared to those who were using short-acting reversible contraceptives (SARC) (OR: 3.37, 95% CI: 1.914-5.937, <i>p</i><0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Adherence to modern contraceptives was low, leaving adolescents at risk of unintended pregnancies. Participants using LARC were more likely to adhere than those using SARC. Interventions addressing fear of side effects and partner prohibition should be studied and implemented to enable adherence to modern contraceptives.</p>","PeriodicalId":74348,"journal":{"name":"Open access journal of contraception","volume":"14 ","pages":"169-180"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10700036/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138813506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Teaching About Contraception: Adolescent Attitudes Surrounding Sexual Education.","authors":"Alissa Zeglin, Rina Lazebnik","doi":"10.2147/OAJC.S402443","DOIUrl":"10.2147/OAJC.S402443","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Adolescent pregnancy remains an important public health issue in the United States as it has profound health consequences for both mother and child. Evidence shows that improved contraception use is a critical factor in decreasing rates of adolescent pregnancy. In order to provide effective and engaging contraception education, it is important to understand adolescents' attitudes, questions, and misconceptions around the topic and its delivery.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Two searches were conducted using PubMed. Articles were limited to those published in the last 10 years that were written in English. The first search was completed using the search terms \"Adolescent attitudes on sex education in the United States\", and resulted in 688 articles. The second search was completed using the search terms \"Adolescent attitudes on contraception in the United States\", and resulted in 840 articles. Articles including contraception but focusing more on HIV, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), LGBTQ+ health and practices, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, and studies completed in other countries were excluded. Remaining articles were screened by the authors for inclusion, and articles were included if they addressed information on adolescent attitudes on both contraception for pregnancy prevention and sex education, including education by schools, community organizations, the media, peers, parents, and physicians. A total of 56 articles were included in the review.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overwhelming theme that emerged from the review is that adolescents prefer comprehensive sex education in a safe space that allows for exploration and questioning. Adolescents want to ask their parents questions about sexual health without fear of punishment, and they desire the opportunity to learn from their physicians in a confidential environment.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The foundation of effective sex education is a non-judgmental, confidential, and safe space where adolescents can ask questions. There are multiple resources that adolescents use to gather information and establish their preferences and attitudes.</p>","PeriodicalId":74348,"journal":{"name":"Open access journal of contraception","volume":"14 ","pages":"181-188"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10697143/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138500704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Contraceptives Knowledge and Perception: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Future Pharmacists in Jordan.","authors":"Kamal M Al-Shami,&nbsp;Fahmi Y Al-Ashwal,&nbsp;Ahmad Naoras Bitar,&nbsp;Sami Alshakhshir","doi":"10.2147/OAJC.S431243","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/OAJC.S431243","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Unintended pregnancy has huge burdens on healthcare resources and society. Contraception is essential to reduce it, and pharmacists are usually the first healthcare providers who are asked for advice about contraceptives. Therefore, the study aimed to evaluate future pharmacists' knowledge, awareness, and perceptions of contraceptive methods and assess the factors influencing their knowledge, awareness, and perceptions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study was conducted among senior pharmacy ‎students at four universities. Data was collected over three months using a structured and validated questionnaire. Both inferential (Mann-Whitney <i>U</i>-test and Kruskal-Wallis test) and descriptive analyses were employed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 310 eligible participants completed the questionnaire, and more than half of them ‎‎(N=172; 55.5%) were final-year students. The Mann-Whitney <i>U</i>-test revealed that final-year students had significantly better knowledge (U= 14,261.5, p<0.002) and a higher level of awareness (U= 13,971.5, p<0.007) than fourth-year students. Interestingly, the Kruskal-Wallis test showed that the type of training (hospital, community, none) had a statistically significant impact on awareness scores (<i>p</i><0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Final-year students had higher knowledge and were more aware of contraception than fourth-year students. Also, community pharmacy training was associated with better awareness about contraceptives‎. Therefore, future studies should explore the impact of incorporating more targeted contraceptive education into earlier years of pharmacy education to bridge the knowledge gap observed between final-year and fourth-year students. Additionally, research should also investigate the effectiveness of specific community pharmacy training modules on contraceptive awareness.</p>","PeriodicalId":74348,"journal":{"name":"Open access journal of contraception","volume":"14 ","pages":"159-167"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10612479/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71415821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy of Tubal Surgery for Permanent Contraception: Considerations for the Clinician.","authors":"Julia Tasset,&nbsp;Jeffrey T Jensen","doi":"10.2147/OAJC.S385255","DOIUrl":"10.2147/OAJC.S385255","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Permanent contraception meets the needs of many people certain in their decision to never become pregnant in the future. Female permanent contraception procedures became more common than male procedures during the 1970s and 1980s, when laparoscopic surgery became widely available. To better understand the efficacy of these new procedures, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a prospective cohort study, known as the Collaborative Review of Sterilization (CREST). For decades, results of this study have defined perioperative counseling around failure risks of such surgeries. However, laparoscopic technology and techniques have changed significantly in recent decades and evidence has emerged supporting noncontraceptive benefits of tubal excision. Therefore, we present here a review of updated information regarding permanent contraception failure in the modern context and implications for clinical practice and future research directions.</p>","PeriodicalId":74348,"journal":{"name":"Open access journal of contraception","volume":"14 ","pages":"53-59"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/23/85/oajc-14-53.PMC10029365.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9538617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effectiveness of Lactational Amenorrhea Method in Ethiopia: A Multi-Center Prospective Cohort Study.","authors":"Tadesse Gure Eticha,&nbsp;Sagni Girma,&nbsp;Galana Mamo,&nbsp;Fekede Asefa,&nbsp;Abdi Birhanu,&nbsp;Bedasa Taye,&nbsp;Addisu Alemu,&nbsp;Kabtamu Nigussie,&nbsp;Abel Gedefaw,&nbsp;Tinsae Genet,&nbsp;Demisew Amenu,&nbsp;Thomas Mekuria,&nbsp;Abera Kenay Tura","doi":"10.2147/OAJC.S425574","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/OAJC.S425574","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Although the lactational amenorrhea method (LAM) is one of the most commonly used contraception methods during the first six months of a woman's postpartum period, there has been little research on its effectiveness in general and particularly in Ethiopia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of LAM and the experiences of Ethiopian women who used it.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a multi-center prospective cohort study of postpartum women from five Ethiopian regions and one city administration. All pregnant women who gave birth in these randomly selected hospitals and five health centers directly referring to the hospitals were invited to the study if they selected LAM and were followed monthly at home. Each month, trained researchers visited the woman at her home and collected information about breast feeding, the return of menses, the resumption of sex, the use of another contraceptive, and a pregnancy test using urine human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Women who reported starting new contraceptive methods, resumption of menses, starting complementary feeding, neonatal death, getting pregnant, or refusing were excluded from the cohort. The data were collected using ODK Collect and exported to Stata 14 for analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the 2162 women who selected LAM as a contraceptive, 2022 were enrolled in the cohort study, and 901 completed the follow-up. At the end of the sixth month, eight women got pregnant, corresponding to an effectiveness of 99.1%. More than half of the cohort were excluded from the follow-up for reasons of transitioning to other types of contraception, resumption of menses, or refusal to follow-up.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The effectiveness of LAM is high and should be recommended for postpartum women, with proper counseling provided. A study should be conducted to examine the effectiveness of breast feeding as a contraceptive beyond the Bellagio consensus.</p>","PeriodicalId":74348,"journal":{"name":"Open access journal of contraception","volume":"14 ","pages":"149-157"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/53/29/oajc-14-149.PMC10488729.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10223559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Uptake and Associated Factors of Male Contraceptive Method Use: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Northern Uganda.","authors":"Raymond Tumwesigye,&nbsp;Eustes Kigongo,&nbsp;Stella Nakiganga,&nbsp;Godfred Mbyariyehe,&nbsp;Joel Nabeshya,&nbsp;Amir Kabunga,&nbsp;Marvin Musinguzi,&nbsp;Richard Migisha","doi":"10.2147/OAJC.S418820","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/OAJC.S418820","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Uganda has one of the highest fertility rates in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Improving contraceptive uptake in all genders, including males, may be critical to meeting family planning goals in such a setting. Yet, data on male contraception uptake and associated factors in SSA, including Uganda, are limited. We determined the uptake and associated factors of male contraception use in Lira City, Northern Uganda.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study from November 12, 2022, to December 12, 2022, among men aged ≥18 years. We used multi-stage sampling to select participants from 12 cells of Lira City divisions of East and West. Data were collected using interviewer-administered structured questionnaires. We defined uptake in males who had used any contraceptive method, including periodic abstinence, withdrawal, condoms, and vasectomy in the previous four weeks. We performed modified Poisson regression to identify associated factors of male contraception uptake.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We recruited 401 participants with mean age of 30.4 (±9.3) years. Male contraceptive uptake was 46.4%, 95% CI: 41.5-51.3%. Ever heard about male contraception (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] =1.73, 95% CI: 1.172-2.539, p=0.006), willingness to use novel methods (aPR=2.90, 95% CI: 1.337-6.293, p=0.007), both partners being responsible for contraception (aPR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.113-2.119, p=0.009) were the factors associated with male contraception uptake.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We found that nearly half of the men surveyed had used male contraceptive methods in Lira City. Factors associated with the uptake of male contraception included having heard about male contraception, joint couple decision regarding contraception, and the use of novel methods of male contraception. We recommend comprehensive education and awareness campaigns to promote male contraception, with a particular emphasis on encouraging shared decision-making within couples and introducing innovative contraceptive options.</p>","PeriodicalId":74348,"journal":{"name":"Open access journal of contraception","volume":"14 ","pages":"129-137"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/90/60/oajc-14-129.PMC10353552.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9844518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Breaking the Binary: How Clinicians Can Ensure Everyone Receives High Quality Reproductive Health Services.","authors":"Christina Jung,&nbsp;Adam Hunter,&nbsp;Mona Saleh,&nbsp;Gwendolyn P Quinn,&nbsp;Siripanth Nippita","doi":"10.2147/OAJC.S368621","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/OAJC.S368621","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The gender binary has historically defined the study and practice of reproductive and sexual healthcare. However, the male and female binary categorization of sex does not adequately define patients seeking reproductive and sexual health. Comprehensive sexual healthcare should consider diverse gender identity and non-heteronormative sexual practices, family planning, sexually transmitted infections, cancer prevention, and sexual function. Recent research suggests clinicians do not feel prepared to provide care for sexual and gender minority (SGM) patients. In this narrative review, we focus on reproductive and sexual health within the scope of obstetric and gynecologic (OB/GYN) clinical practice. We used traditional medical subject headings to summarize data from publications in peer-reviewed journals published in the last 10 years and identified barriers, facilitators and best practices for de-gendering reproductive healthcare. Following a roughly chronological care path across the lifespan, we categorized findings into the following topics: Early Care for SGM, Sexual Health, Family Planning, and Care Later in Life for SGM. We include recommendations for creating a welcoming environment, SGM inclusive training for clinicians and staff, and best practices for individualized counseling. We review suggested practices related to service delivery and clinical considerations in the provision of sexual and reproductive health care for gender and sexual minority patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":74348,"journal":{"name":"Open access journal of contraception","volume":"14 ","pages":"23-39"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/bb/e7/oajc-14-23.PMC9939798.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10765967","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predictors of Unintended Pregnancy Among Adolescent Girls During the Second Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Oyam District in Northern Uganda.","authors":"Ponsiano Okalo,&nbsp;Anna Agnes Arach,&nbsp;Brenda Apili,&nbsp;Jimmy Oyat,&nbsp;Namata Halima,&nbsp;Amir Kabunga","doi":"10.2147/OAJC.S399973","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/OAJC.S399973","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In Uganda, unintended pregnancies are responsible for one in three births with detrimental consequences, a situation that worsened during COVID-19. Thus, the present examined unplanned pregnancy and its associated risks in Oyam district, northern Uganda during the COVID-19 epidemic.</p><p><strong>Methods and methods: </strong>This study employed a cross-sectional study among adolescent girls aged 15-19 years who had a pregnancy during the second phase of COVID-19 in Oyam district, northern Uganda in November 2022. A consecutive method was employed to recruit the participants attending health facilities. A structured questionnaire was utilized to collect data. For data analysis, both bivariate and multivariable regression methods with adjusted odds ratio and 95% CI were used. A p-value of 0.05 was used to determine the significance level.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the total respondents, 292 (69.5%) were aged between 18 and 19 years of age, 295 (70.2%) lived in rural areas, and 222 (52.9%) had no formal education. The results also show that 293 (69.8%) of the respondents had unintended pregnancies during COVID-19. The results indicate that participants who lacked knowledge of the ovulation period (AOR: 0.242; 95% CI: 0156-0376; P<0.001), sex education during COVID-19 (AOR: 0.563; 95% CI:: 0.365-0.869; P=0.024) and lacked the freedom to discuss family planning-related issues with family members during COVID-19 (AOR: 0.228; 95% CI: 0.138-0.376; P<0.001) were more likely to have an unintended pregnancy compared to their counterparts.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our study shows that unwanted pregnancies among adolescent girls remain a public health issue in Oyam district with more than two-thirds of adolescents having unwanted pregnancies during the crisis of COVID-19. The major correlates of unwanted pregnancies among adolescent girls during COVID-19 pandemic were inadequate knowledge of the ovulation period, sex education, and lack of freedom to discuss family planning-related issues with family members. There is a need to prioritize interventions, especially in rural settings. Sex education to improve contraceptive use and delay sexual debut. In light of the possibility that social and cultural norms in the Oyam district prohibit parents and children from discussing sexual subjects, it is crucial to promote sexual health education through the mass media, including newspapers, television, radio, and social media.</p>","PeriodicalId":74348,"journal":{"name":"Open access journal of contraception","volume":"14 ","pages":"15-21"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/03/d4/oajc-14-15.PMC9910206.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10704078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}