Submission ID 116975
| Issue/Objective | While the Middle East and North Africa region has witnessed progress in family planning provision in recent years, Lebanon still faces barriers that hinder equitable access to family planning. This study aims to determine the prevalence and social drivers of effective contraception use among residents in Lebanon to better inform service delivery and national strategies in sexual reproductive health rights (SRHR) in Lebanon. |
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| Methodology/Approach | This is a national cross-sectional study of adults aged 19-64 years in Lebanon. Participants were recruited between January and June 2024 using random digit dialing, and data were collected via telephone surveys. This analysis included sexually active, reproductive-age adults who reported having an intimate partner within the preceding three years, and married or engaged reproductive-age adults who reported not intending to get pregnant. Binary outcomes included current contraception use (yes/no), long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) use (yes/no), and modern contraception use (yes/no). LARC methods included intrauterine devices, contraceptive implants, and contraceptive injections. Modern methods included LARC, in addition to female sterilization, male sterilization, birth control pills, male condoms, female condoms, diaphragms, and contraceptive gels. Exposures included nationality and receipt of humanitarian aid. Survey-weighted logistic regression models estimated the association between each exposure/outcome pair, and unadjusted odds ratios OR [95%CI] were reported. |
| Results | Among 3304 participants, the mean age was 38 years (SD ±10.8), 44% were female, 67% were Lebanese, and 53% were current contraception users, out of which only 18% reported using LARC methods and 53% reported using modern methods. Non-nationals (who were mainly Syrian refugees) and humanitarian aid recipients were 1.50 [95%CI:1.30-1.73] and 1.70 [95%CI:1.41-2.04] times more likely to use any form of contraception, 1.56 [95%CI:1.22-2.00] and 1.64 [95%CI:1.25-2.15] times more likely to use LARC methods, and 1.52 [95%CI:1.25-1.84] and 1.38 [95%CI:1.10-1.73] times more likely to use modern methods on average, compared to Lebanese and non-aid recipients, respectively. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | There are disparities in contraception use by nationality in Lebanon. Non-nationals likely received subsidized family planning care, for which Lebanese citizens are ineligible. Actions to increase the accessibility of family planning services and improve SRHR for all Lebanese residents are necessary. |
| Presenters and affiliations | Rindala Fayyad Center for Research on Population and Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut Stephen McCall Center for Research on Population and Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut Ghada Saad Center for Research on Population and Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut Sasha Fahme Center for Research on Population and Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut Myriam Dagher Center for Research on Population and Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut Ali Abboud Economics Department, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, American University of Beirut Hala Ghattas Center for Research on Population and Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut Jocelyn DeJong Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut |
