Unmet Need For Contraceptive: The Case Of Married Adolescent Women In Bangladesh

Objectives: To find the level and differentials of unmet need for contraceptive of currently married adolescent women and also their causes of non-use of contraceptive. Methods: For analyzing unmet need for contraceptive and causes of contraceptive non-use of currently married adolescent women (CMAW), data come from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS)-2004. Attempts have been made, in this study, to look at the levels of and causes of unmet need for contraceptive, by using percent distribution and urban-rural ratio of currently married adolescent women with an unmet need for contraceptive by different characteristics. Logistic regression method has been used for examining differentials in unmet need for contraceptive of currently married adolescent women. Results: The results of the study revealed that about 16.03% of currently married adolescent women had an unmet need for contraceptive and the figure was higher for (10–14) years age-group than (15–19) years age-group, and also it was more prevalent in rural areas than in urban areas (rural 17.40% Vs urban 12.60%). Husband’s opposition and fear of side effects were the most cited causes of non-use of contraceptive. Conclusion: Interventions should be made, paying special emphasize, for early adolescence group, i.e. for (10-14) years age-group and rural areas of all six divisions in Bangladesh should be considered as priority area in terms of unmet need for contraceptive. Since the results of this study identified a wide disparity between divisions in terms of CMAW’s unmet need for contraceptive, therefore, divisions, where unmet need for contraceptive are high (Barisal, Chittagong and Sylhet division), needed more consideration.