Barriers and facilitators to utilization of family planning among married women in Nyabiheke camp, Rwanda.

BACKGROUND

Women in many refugee camps face challenges with unplanned or unwanted pregnancies. Despite the availability of family planning (FP) services in Nyabiheke camp, the utilization rate remains low. Therefore, this study explored barriers and facilitators to the utilization of FP among married refugee women in Nyabiheke camp, Rwanda.

METHODS

This was a case study conducted in Nyabiheke Refugee Camp. Purposive sampling was used to select 14 key informant interviews (KIIs) and 32 participants for the focus group discussions (FGDs). The KIIs included local leaders, nurses, community health workers (CHWs), religious leaders, and government officials. Five FGDs were conducted, with three groups of women and two groups of men, each discussed separately. The study used thematic analysis for data analysis.

RESULTS

The data analysis identified the following key themes: perceived benefits of family planning (FP), perceived barriers to FP, influence of family and friends, availability and affordability of FP, role of government in providing FP, and socio-cultural factors. Facilitators of FP utilization included support from spouses in decision making, the provision of free FP services in the community, and receiving information from friends. Barriers to the utilization of FP included fear of side effects, ignorance about FP, lack of motivation, lack of husband's approval, as well as religious values and cultural norms.

CONCLUSION

Despite the availability of FP services in Nyabiheke camp, barriers continue to prevent their full utilization. Addressing these barriers and strengthening the factors that facilitate FP utilization, through community-based education and campaigns could significantly enhance the utilization of FP services in the camp.