Approaches to Estimate Use of Emergency Contraception

Elizabeth Larson , Performance Monitoring for Accountability (PMA), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Yoonjoung Choi, PMA2020
Antonia Morzenti, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Georges Guiella, Université de Ouagadougou
Peter Gichangi, International Center for Reproductive Health, Kenya
Frederick Makumbi, Makerere University

Estimated use of emergency contraception (EC) remains low, and one reason is measurement challenges. The study aims to compare EC use estimates using five approaches. Data come from Performance Monitoring and Accountability 2020 from ten countries, representative sample surveys of women ages 15-49 years. We explore EC use employing the five definitions and calculate absolute differences between a reference definition (percent of women currently using EC as the most effective method) and each of the subsequent four, including the most inclusive (percent of women having used EC in the past year). Across the 17 geographies, estimated use varies greatly by definition and EC use employing the most inclusive definition is statistically significantly higher than the reference estimate. Impact of using various definitions is most pronounced among unmarried sexually active women. The conventional definition of EC use likely underestimates the magnitude of EC use, which has unique programmatic implications.

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 Presented in Session 170. Measurement Approaches and Innovations in Family Planning