ASSESSMENT OF WOMEN’S ADAPTATION TO ACCESS AND USE OF FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES DURING THE LOCKDOWN IN LUKAYA TOWN COUNCIL

Abstract

The outbreak of COVID 19 greatly affected health service delivery as it resulted in lockdowns in most of the states and countries which came along with various limitations to access of health care such as family planning services. Aim: The major objective of the study was; to assess the adaptation of women of childbearing age to access of family planning services during the lockdown in Lukaya, Kalungu district. Methods: This was a cross sectional study involving 388 women from Lukaya town council. These were selected from three selected villages. Data was collected using an interviewer administered questionnaire and it was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 22 to generate frequencies and percentages. Findings were summarized in form of tables, pie charts and graphs as well as plain text. Results: there were 196(51.4%) women who used family planning during the lockdown and a total of 185(48%) who never used family planning during the lockdown. Factors such as age, employment status, parity, used Fp before lockdown, need to use Fp, method used a month before lockdown, distance from residence to Fp facility, ability to afford transport/ cost of Fp services, availability of service providers, Fp service satisfaction and husband support for Fp use were each found to be significantly associated with Fp use during the lockdown having a p value ≤ 0.05 at bivariate analysis . The most prevalent strategies employed were ,natural family planning methods (17%), utilization of private facilities(14%) and having been found utilizing a long term method at least a month before lockdown institution(13%). Conclusion: Half of the respondents from Lukaya town council had used FP during the lock down. Finding the need to use family planning during the lockdown was significanty associated with using family planning during this time. Paying for a method or using natural family planning methods were the ways in which women adpted to limited access to family planning services during the lockdown.