ABSTRACT
Contraceptive use has numerous benefits for thefamily and the nation that can be maximized with its consistent use.However, many women have preferences for certain contraceptiveswith implications for continued use.OBJECTIVE: To determine the contraceptive preferences of women,their utilization pattern and factors affecting utilization of the preferredcontraceptive choices.METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 426women of reproductive age selected from 32 primary health facilitiesusing multistage sampling technique. Data was collected using a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Descriptive andinferential analysis of data collected was carried out using IBM SPSSversion 22 software. P-value was set at 0.05.RESULTS: Close to half of the respondents 211 (49.5%) preferredinjectable contraceptives, 79 (18.6%) selected implants and 27 (6.3%)chose condoms. The majority 212 (49.8%) of respondents usedinjectable contraceptives, followed by implants 66 (15.5%), condoms33 (7.7%), IUCD 54 (12.7%) and OCP 61 (14.3%). Age (p<0.001),number of children (p<0.001), clients' employment status (p<0.001),husband support (p<0.021) and desire for more children (p<0.001)were all statistically associated with the utilization of preferredcontraceptives.CONCLUSION: Even though respondents preferred the injectablecontraceptives, implants and IUCD in that order, their utilizationpattern followed the order of Injectable, implants and OCP. Severalfactors were identified to be statistically associated with the utilizationof preferred contraceptives. Health education on contraceptive useamong women, spousal support and health workers training tohighlight those factors influencing women's contraceptive preferencesand utilization are recommended