Sintayehu Assefa and Dubale Dulla*
Background: Post-partum family planning aims to prevent an intended pregnancy within the first year postpartum. Closely spaced pregnancy within the first year of PP is associated with higher risk of preterm birth, low birth weight or small for gestational age. However, the perceived uptakes of postpartum contraceptives are very low. The intention of this study was determine uptakes and associated factors of postpartum family planning in southern Ethiopia.
Methods: The study was conducted in Hawassa city administration which is the capital of SNNPR. Community based cross sectional study was employed women who gave birth in the last 12 months before survey. Data was collected using structured questionnaire proceeding informed verbal consent. Logistic regression model was used to identify associations between variables and findings were presented.
Result: The prevalence of current post-partum contraceptive use was 85.1%. After adjusting for covariates; the odds of using postpartum contraceptive were 1.31 times, 12.13 times, 5.17 times, 10.77 time and 4.69 times higher among women with, knowledge about advantages and side effects of contraceptives, partner support for contraceptive use, previously contraceptive use and not returned period respectively with (P <0. 05).
Conclusion: Uptakes of postpartum contraceptives in Hawassa city administration was promising. Detailed counseling about postpartum contraceptive use, could assist equipping women with knowledge of family planning methods; empowering them to be decisive in the health and positivity of male partners are very crucial to promote postpartum use of contraceptives.
