Reproductive System & Sexual Disorders: Current Research
Open Access

Abstract

Assessment of Husband-Wife Communication and Practice of Contraceptives in Angecha Woreda, Kembata Tembaro Zone, South Ethiopia: A Cross Sectional Study

Degefa Helamo, Fasil Tessema and Feleke Doyore

Background: Family planning communication between husbands and wives is a prerequisite for better and responsible reproductive health behavior. This study was aimed to assess husband-wife communications, practice of contraceptives and associated factors in Angecha Woreda, Kembata Zone, Ethiopia. Methods: Community based cross-sectional study was conducted using quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. Study participants were selected using stratified random sampling from each kebele. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Open Code was used for analysis of qualitative data. Results: From a sample of 588 couples 362 (61.6%) wives and 442 (75.2%) husbands were not using any contraceptive methods till the day of the study. As independent predictors: occupational status (AOR = 0.40, 95.0% CI, 0.20 - 0.79), the need for children (AOR = 6.62, 95.0% CI, 2.62 - 16.71), place of residence, age (AOR = 0. 27, 95.0% CI 0.11 - 0.68), wives who discuss with their husbands (AOR = 0.11, 95.0% CI, 0.03 - 0.40) and husbands who discuss with their wives (AOR = 0.03, 95.0% CI, 0.06 - 0.14) were positively associated factors with husband wife communication about contraceptive use. Knowledge of husbands (AOR = 7.86, 95.0% CI, 4.32 - 14.30) and wives (AOR = 1.70, 95.0% CI, 1.06 - 2.73) were negatively associated factors with husband-wife communication about contraceptive use. Conclusions: Despite higher number of couples (81%) knows at least 8-11 different contraceptive methods, the practice of contraceptives was relatively low. Therefore, due attention should be given to fill the gap of high knowledge and attitude with low actual practice of different methods of family planning observed in this particular study area.