Demand for using contraceptive methods among Kurdish women in city of Mahabad in 2012

Background: Increasing number of women in reproductive ages and tending small families will result in demand for using contraception in near future. The study tried to assess the demand for contraceptive methods and its determinants among Kurdish women in Mahabad city.

Methods: A sample of over 700 households in Mahabad surveyed for the study using questionnaire with interview technique. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire verified according to content measure and Cronbach’s alpha. The main technique for determining the effects of independent variables on using contraceptive methods was Logistic regression.

Results: Findings showed that 27.7 percent of women use permanent and long-acting contraceptive methods and therefore the demand for these contraceptive methods is 71.35 percent. Multivariate analysis showed that there are statistically significant relationships between the number of children ever born; the perceived contraceptive costs, and childbearing intentions with dependent variable. According to this study, women at the end of reproductive ages and those with higher education are more likely to use permanent and long-acting contraceptive methods.

Conclusion: The difference between the demand for contraceptive use, particularly long-acting ones and permanent methods, indicate a high level of unmet demand that could lead to increased unwanted pregnancy and induced abortion.