Prevalence and Factors Influencing Family Planning Use among Women with Non-Communicable Diseases in Urban Areas in Rwanda.

BACKGROUND

Women with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are at an elevated risk of experiencing pregnancy-related complications. Usually, they are advised to use effective family planning (FP) methods. This study assessed the prevalence of FP use and the factors influencing their use among women with NCDs in urban areas in Rwanda.

METHODOLOGY: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted for 244 women aged 15-49 years attending follow up care in NCDs clinics at selected health centers and hospitals. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Simple logistic regression was used to identify the association between independent variables and FP use, while multinomial logistic regression examined the strength of the identified association between both modern and natural FP methods.

RESULTS

The prevalence of FP use among female with NCDs in reproductive age is 68.4%. The most common NCDs in the group are hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and heart failure. Women aged 25-34 mostly prefer to use modern FP method, the same as women living in the Southern Province. Furthermore, living with a partner had higher odds of using both natural and modern methods of FP.

CONCLUSION

Use of FP among women with NCDs remains suboptimal. There is a need for more individualized health education and counselling to support reproductive aged women with NCDs in making informed decisions about FP. Such efforts are essential to empower these women and promote their overall well-being.