Currently Married Women with an Unmet Need for Contraception in Minia Governorate, Egypt: Profile and Determinants

Background: Understanding the magnitude of unmet contraceptive need and the underlying determinants will help the programs and services to respond effectively. Aim: Identify the prevalence and determinants of unmet contraceptive need among married women in the childbearing period in Minia Governorate. Methods: Community-based cross-sectional study was done among married women of child bearing age (18 - 49 years). Total 534 study participants were selected randomly and interviewed by using pretested structured questionnaire. Results: Overall level of unmet need was 12.7%. Women age > 35 years old were about three times (adjusted OR = 2.88, 95% CI: 1.13 - 7.35) more likely to have unmet need for family planning compared to younger women. Women who had more children (adjusted OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.04 - 1.67), more female offspring (adjusted OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.09 - 1.65), and women whose partner had non-supportive attitude towards family planning (adjusted OR = 2.96, 95% CI: 1.53 - 5.72) were more likely to have unmet need. Conclusion: The prevalence of unmet need of family planning among women in Minia Governorate remains high. Therefore, family planning programs that cover the older woman’s need for limiting and that focus on couples could be useful in reducing the rate of unmet need.