Principal Investigator: Dr G.B.Turyasingura

Co-investigators: Dr C.Biryabarema

Dr F. Kaharuza

Mailing addresses: 1. Child Health and Development Centre,

Makerere University,

P.O. Box 6717, Kampala.

2. CARE-Uganda.

P.O. Box 7280, Kampala.

In this report results from a 1992 reproductive health baseline survey of 1459 women and men of reproductive age in southwestern Uganda are presented. Over half of the repondents had attained primary level schooling; illiteracy levels were highest among females at 31 percent. Over 90% of the women and men in the sample had ever had sexual intercource; three-quarters had first indulged in sexual intercourse before age 18 years. Eighty percent of the females in the sample and 67% of the males were either currently in union at the time of the survey, or had ever married. Marriage had been early; 42% of the females had been married by the age of 18, the statutory age of marriage.

There was expressed desire for large family sizes; two-thirds of the respondents preferred families of five or greater children. Indeed, 21% of the female respondents already had seven or more children.

Most respondents had some knowledge of modern methods of family planning; slightly over 50 percent indicated without prompting that they had heard of at least one modern method. Prompted knowledge was positive for over 80 percent of the respondents. The contraceptive pill and the condom were the most known methods of birth contral. The quality of knowledge for a majority of respondents was, however, low. Even for the most commonly heard method, the pill, for example, only 22% of females with some knowledge, knew that the pill has to be taken daily for effective contraception. Only 37 percent knew what would happen if a pill user forgot to take her pill, and only 7 percent were accurate on what measures such a pill user would be advised to take.

Contraceptive use was low: only 10 percent of the females and 9 percent of the males or their spouces reported to have ever used at least one modern method of contraception. Current contraceptive usage was even much lower. Only 3 and 4 percent of the females and males or their spouces respectively, were using at least one modern method of contraception. The pill and the condom were the most commonly used modern methods. The Rhythm method was used much more commonly among males than any of the other methods. One possible explanation for the low contraceptive usage is the lack of family planning outlets, and service providers for most part of the region. Only four clinics offered family planning as a service in the whole region.

Regression analysis showed a positive influence of education on the level of knowledge and contraceptive prevalence. The more educated respondents were significantly more likely to have heard of a method of contraception and to either have ever used or be currently using at least one modern method birth control, than the less or not educated respondents.

It is recommended that extensive family planning education be initiated and maintained in the region, and that all existing health units in the region including dispensaries and sub-dispensaries, be facilitated to provide family planning services.

Health personel in all these units should undergo additional training in family planning in order to boost the number of family planning providers and outlets.