Background: According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-3, the prevalence of modern methods of contraceptive use is 48.5% and by all methods 56%, which is still below the expected rate of 60% to have a stable population.
Objective: To find the prevalence of contraceptive use and the reasons for not using contraceptives among the slum population.
Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Mangalwar Peth slum area of Pune city, Maharashtra, India, with a sample of 400 married women aged between 15 and 45 years assuming a prevalence of 50%. Information was collected on a comprehensive, pretested, and semistructured pro forma by interviewing the study subjects. Percentages were calculated, and statistical analysis was done by X2-test.
Result: The prevalence of contraception use among the couples was 69.5%. Among the 122 nonusers of contraception, the reasons for not using were: unwilling, 29 (23.77%) couples; recently married, 28 (22.95%) couples; lactation, 12 (9.8%) couples; and lack of knowledge, 7 (5.735%) couples.
Conclusion: The prevalence of contraception use was higher than the findings of NFHS-3 among the slum dwellers. The common reasons for the nonuse of contraception methods were ignorance, recently married, lactation, and lack of knowledge.
Key words: Contraceptives prevalence, knowledge, slums, NFHS 3
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