An analysis of calendar data: examining contraceptive use dynamics and trends in Eastern Africa

Peter Kisaakye, University of Cape Town
Tom A. Moultrie, University of Cape Town

The analysis of calendar data has become a useful and standard measure for tracking patterns of contraceptive use in the developing world. Effective use of contraception is believed to be the surest way to plan for births and avert unwanted fertility. Despite the positive contribution contraception plays, sexually active women mainly from sub-Saharan Africa continue to grapple with unwanted and mistimed pregnancies. In some instances, it has culminated into unsafe induced abortion. Such reproductive outcomes are likely to delay fertility transition in the region. Using calendar data from the Demographic and Health Surveys, we adopt a longitudinal approach to examine trends and contraceptive use dynamics in five East African countries. Available results may suggest lower use of contraception and higher discontinuation rates in Tanzania and Uganda as compared to Ethiopia, Kenya, and Rwanda. The findings provide a basis for a discussion on the implications of reproductive behavior in sub-Saharan Africa.