Determinants of female sterilization method uptake among women of reproductive age group in Uganda

Abstract

Background Despite its great effectiveness, safety and convenience for women who do not wish to have more children; female sterilization method uptake in Uganda is very low. This study aimed at establishing factors associated with female sterilization uptake in Uganda. Methods Secondary data were sourced from the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS). We analyzed all (18,506) women aged 15–49 years who were interviewed in the 2016 UDHS. This sample was categorized into women who were sterilized and those using other modern methods. We used a Chi-square test to measure the association between the current uptake of female sterilization by the women and selected independent variables. Multivariate analysis applied the complimentary log-log model to determine the net effect of selected characteristics on female sterilization uptake in Uganda. Results The overall prevalence of female sterilization among modern contraceptive users was 2%. Female sterilization uptake was highly associated with age of 30 years and older (OR = 34.49;, 95%CI:13.33–99.88), middle wealth status (OR = 0.65, 95% CI:0.47–0.92), women who had ever given birth to at least four children (OR = 3.19, 95% CI:1.63–6.22) and decision making by either the husband/partner (OR = 2.42, 95% CI:1.55–3.78) or jointly between a woman and her husband/partner (OR = 1.38, 95% CI:1.02–1.86). Conclusions The uptake of female sterilization was very low, and this was associated with; age, household wealth, parity and contraceptive decision-maker. The uptake of Family planning programs needs to focus on male engagement to increase joint decision making on family planning issues especially those relating to fertility limitation. Government and its other implementing partners need to scale-up efforts that increase accessibility to information on female sterilization services for women who have completed their fertility.

Factors associated with use of long-acting reversible and permanent contraceptives among married women in rural Kenya: A community-based cross-sectional study in Kisii and Kilifi counties

“…Male and female sterilizations are only offered in 5% and 7% of health facilities, respectively [ 20 ] and are not widely accepted, especially in the rural setting. The finding is similar to a study in Uganda that showed that low uptake of these methods were associated with poverty, limited awareness of the method, lack of skilled personnel to administer the method, and limited resources to purchase and maintain laparoscopic equipment [ 57 ]. Poor knowledge and information about the methods, along with religious and socio-cultural barriers, are some of the perceived barriers to the uptake of this method [ 58 ].…”

The trends of female sterilization in India: an age period cohort analysis approach

“…Our study showed that the adoption of female sterilization was high in the older cohort than younger ones, and a similar pattern was observed in all the states, and covariates, except for Tamil Nadu, where it was observed a similar trend of female sterilization in all the birth cohort. With similar studies, newer cohorts generally rely on the spacing methods of family planning as they are more educated and still in the reproductive age groups [ 47 ]. Also, education have a major role in the contraception adoption in India.…”

The Lived Experience of Women Using Bilateral Tubal Ligation Service in Rural Southern Ethiopia: A Phenomenological Study

“…This finding is reported similarly in studies done in Uganda, in central and eastern provinces of Kenya and Kwara State, Nigeria where the studies reported that socio-cultural influences as the main determinants of BTL uptake. 22 , 28–30 …”