Factors Influencing Access to Modern Family Planning Services By Adolescent Girls in Western Uganda

Abstract

The access to modern family planning services have been found to avert unintended pregnancy, reduce maternal and child mortality. However, its usage still remains low. Hence the objective of this research was to investigate factors influencing access to modern family planning services among adolescent girls. This study used the UDHS 2016 data and focused on the women 15-19 in Western Uganda. The study found that the women that were interviewed were aged 15-19 years. Among women that were interviewed, majority were from the rural with 80%, most of the respondents had gone through primary and had their percentage as (64%). Majority of them were Catholics (46%) and Anglican (43%). Among young girls that were interviewed in western Uganda majority were in the rich (44%%) and middle class (33%) and the minority were the poor (23%). Majority of the adolescent respondents in western Uganda were never in union/single (83%), married (9%) and the minority were belonged to others (7%). Age and marital status were positively associated with access to family planning services among young girls in Western Uganda (p<0.05). Although some young girls (15-19) had access to modern family planning services in Western Uganda 15 adolescent girls only had access to modern family planning services thus there is the need for the government of Uganda through ministry of health and other stake holders to intensify health education on benefits family planning. The government should also scale up family planning services in Western Uganda to make the more accessible by the young