Abstract:
Introduction: Teenage pregnancies are associated with adverse health, social and economic
outcomes A rapid repeat pregnancy may therefore compound onto these poor outcomes.
Postpartum Contraceptive uptake is a key intervention in preventing rapid repeat pregnancies.
There IS limited data on postpartum contraception uptake among adolescents in Uganda in the face
of high teenage pregnancies most especially in Eastern Uganda.
Objective: To determine prevalence and factors associated with use of contraceptives during
postpartum period (first 12 months) among teenage women resident in Mbale municipality.
Methods: This cross sectional study included 511postpartum teenage women in Mbale
municipality. Analysis was at three levels, univariate, bivariate and multivariate using STATA
Version 14. Logistics regression were used at bivariate and multivariate levels. The level of
significance was set at 5% and 95% confidence intervals.
Results: There was a high use of contraceptives among post-partum teenage women as 314(61.5%,
95%CI: 57.1% - 65.6%) were using it. Of the 314 study participants reported to have used
contraceptives during postpartum period, majority 202 (64.3%) used injection and stared use
within 3-6 months’ post-partum, 161 (52. 6%).Religion and intention to go back to school were
significantly associated with contraceptive use among these teenage women as Pentecostals had
lower odds of using any FP method as compared to the protestants with AOR of 0.46 (95% CI:
0.24-0.87), and those who had no intentions of going back to school had higher odds of using FP
with AOR of 1.79 (95% CI: I. I 6-2.74). teenage women whose husbands were solely responsible
for deciding when to get pregnant and those who decided together with their men had lower odds
for contraceptive usage with AOR of 0.39(95%CI 0.15-0.86) and 0.53(95%CI; 0.33-0.84)
respectively as compared to women who were solely responsible for deciding when to get
pregnant. Teenage women who did not attend PNC had lower odds of contraceptive use with AOR
OAO (95%CI; 0.25-0.63). Teenage women who had not talked to their partners about contraceptives
had lower odds of contraceptive utilization with AOR of 0.28(95%CI; 0.18-0.44).
Conclusion: The study found that; religion, intention to go back to go back to schools significantly
influence use of contraceptives during postpartum period among teenage women in Mbale municipality.
