Unmet need for family planning among young women in Ghana

Abstract

Meeting the unmet need for family planning is on the agenda of the international community as well as national governments because of its importance in reducing the incidences of unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion and associated maternal mortality. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey aimed at investigating the determinants of unmet need for family planning among young women (15-24 years) in Ghana. Utilising secondary data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS), both bivariate and multivariate analyses were done to examine the associations between demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and unmet need for family planning among young women (15-24 years). The results show that parity increased the likelihood of unmet need for family planning among young women. Similarly, young women who desire either more or fewer children than their husbands/partners have higher likelihood of having unmet need. On the other hand, the likelihood of unmet need for family planning decreased with age and living in rural areas. The major reasons for young women’s non-use of family planning were the fear of side effects of family planning methods, infrequent engagement in sexual activity, postpartum amenorrhea and breastfeeding. The study recommended that Ghana Health Service should intensify education on the possible side effects of family planning methods to enable young women make informed choices. Also, it is recommended that Ghana Health Service and Civil Society Organisations must embark on advocacy to inform and empower husbands/partners to accept family planning.