UTILIZATION OF LONG-ACTING REVERSIBLE CONTRACEPTIVES AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG FEMALE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IN GAMO AND GOFA ZONE HOSPITALS, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA: CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY, 2021

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Female health care providers' use of family planning is critical for the community, as it encourages the use of long-acting family planning methods. But there is a paucity of studies on the utilization of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) and associated factors among female health professionals. OBJECTIVE: To assess the utilization of LARCs and associated factors among female health care providers in Gamo and Gofa Zone Hospitals in 2021. METHOD: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected 464 female health care providers working at Gamo and Gofa Hospitals, Southern Ethiopia. The data was collected by a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire. Binary logistic regression analyses with a p-value <0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. RESULT: The utilization of LARCs among female health care providers was 28.8%. Earning ≥5000 family monthly income [AOR=2.005; 95% CI: 1.236-3.251], desire to have 0-2 children [2.147; 1.249-3.693], good knowledge on LARCs [2.320; 1.236-3.251], age 25-34 years [2.407; 1.240-4.672], being ≥18 age at first sexual intercourse [0.401; 0.219-0.734] and being trained on family planning methods [3.460; 1.203-4.589] were positively associated with utilization of LARCs. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that utilization of LARCs among female health care providers in Gamo and Gofa zone hospitals was low. Age 25-35 years, earning ≥5000 families monthly income, having good knowledge of LARCs, desire to have 0-2 children, being trained on family planning, and starting sexual intercourse ≥18 years were significantly associated with the utilization of LARCs. Providing training and intensifying information dissemination on LARCs is essential.