Submission ID 131498
| Issue/Objective | Background: The utilization of contraception contributes to limiting the number of children, spacing births, reducing avoidable maternal and newborn mortality, and thus yields a demographic dividend. Globally, from 2012-2025, the use of modern contraception modestly increased. In Burundi, the rate of modern contraception remains lower, despite efforts being rolled out by the government and supported by development partners. From 2020 to 2023, three provinces (Gitega, Muramvya, and Mwaro) were supported by Cordaid (Nongovernmental Organization) to increase the use of modern contraception. However, its utilization as of 2022 remained low (20.7% among all women and 34% among married women). This study aimed to identify the factors influencing the use of modern contraception in three provinces among married women |
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| Methodology/Approach | Methods: From a socio-ecological perspective, we conducted a qualitative study in three rural provinces, of which 496,213 (23.7%) were women of childbearing age. We conducted eight focus group discussions (each consisting of eight married women attending primary healthcare centers). Each group was homogeneous, and the interviews were conducted in their native language to facilitate interaction. Ethical approval was obtained from the National Institute of Public Health (Décision CIE 11/2025). All the recordings were transcribed and then translated from the native language into English. After translation, the data were cleaned through proofreading and lexical correction and classified into parent and child nodes by the researchers. Analysis was then carried out using Nvivo 15 software. |
| Results | This study revealed that individual barriers such as ignorance, bad experience and religious beliefs; interpersonal barriers such as differing perceptions between spouses and the desire to have male children; organizational barriers such as religious influence; healthcare costs for treating side effects associated with the use of modern contraception; community barriers such as pro-natalist attitudes; male decision-making power; and political barriers such as low awareness and low political commitment are barriers to the use of modern contraception in these three provinces. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | Establishments involved in family planning delivery services at all levels must appropriately address the population's concerns about modern contraception, especially those of women of childbearing age and their husbands, to ignite their willingness to use modern contraception. |
| Presenters and Affiliations | Emile Nkurunziza The House of Statistics Emile Nkurunziza The House of Statistics |
