Unmet needs for contraception and their demographic significance in Kenya

Abstract

A large proportion of women in Kenya who say that they want no more children or that they want to delay the next birth fail to use any contraceptive method. Most of the women in Kenya know at ]east one method of contraception. This study attempted to estimate the extent of the unmet need for contraception. Women in need of contraception may not use any method because they are pregnant or breast-feeding or they may be infecund. Others may cite personal or social reasons. This study would assist in identification of groups of women who have high chances of experiencing unmet need. The demographic significance of unmet need could be used to set targets for family planning programs.The determinants of unmet needs were analyzed using the logistic regression method. The demographic significance of unmet needs was estimated using a regression equation that exploits the strong correlation between contraceptive prevalence rate and the TFR. The implication of satisfaction of unmet needs on the contraceptive prevalence rate was also analyzed. The implications of satisfaction of unmet needs on the TFR was estimated using different assumptions about the extent to which the unmet needs are eliminated.The results of the analysis showed that the level of unmet needs was about 36.5 percent for the country as a whole. The unmet need for spacing exceeded the unmet need for limiting. The level of unmet needs was slightly higher 1n rural areas (38.2 percent) than in urban areas (37.1 percent). When the level of unmet need was analyzed by education, it was found to be highest among women with incomplete education and women with secondary and above education had the lowest.The contraceptive prevalence rate would increase dramatically if unmet needs were satisfied. The highest increase would be among women of low socio-economic status, for example, those with no education. The TFR would decline by 44.81 percent from 5.4 to 2.98 for the country as a whole. This study recommends that techniques of analyzing unmet needs should be further developed to remove the ambiguities prevailing currently. Further, the unmet need among the never-married and formerly-married women should be studied. Finally, family planning programs should be based on sound theoretical framework so as to be effective in eliminating the prevailing high level of unmet need. Only then can we hope to achieve the demographic goals as laid in the population policy of this country.