Trends and Determinants of Contraceptive Method Choice in Kenya

This study uses data from the 1989, 1993, and 1998 Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys to examine trends and determinants of contraceptive method choice in Kenya. The analysis, based on two‐level multinomial regression models, shows that, over time, the use of modern contraceptive methods, especially long‐term methods, is higher in urban than in rural areas, whereas the pattern is reversed for traditional methods. Use of barrier methods among unmarried women is steadily rising, but the levels remain disappointingly low, particularly in view of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Kenya. One striking result from this analysis is the dramatic rise in the use of injectables. Of particular program relevance is the notably higher levels of use of injectables among rural women, women whose partners disapprove of family planning, uneducated women, and those less frequently exposed to family planning media messages, compared with their counterparts who have better access to services and greater exposure to family planning information.