Rising popularity of injectable contraceptives in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Injectable contraceptives are fast becoming the method of choice among married women in sub-Saharan Africa. In several countries in the region, the proportion of women using injectable methods has surpassed the proportion of women using the pill. This is true even in some countries where the pill had been the most popular modern method in the 1980s and 1990s. This paper analyzes data from six sub-Saharan African countries that have participated four or more times in the Demographic and Health Surveys program to investigate recent increases in prevalence of injectable contraceptives and identify factors that drive the increase. It discusses the programmatic implications of this trend for the region, especially in terms of contraceptive security and sustainability.