Predicting Contraception Methods by Partner Discordance in Attitudes towards Female Empowerment

Bonnie Katalenich , Tulane University

Female empowerment is a known predictor of contraceptive use; women with greater empowerment are more likely to use contraception. The United States President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) was initiated under President G. W. Bush in 2003 with 15 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa receiving the majority of funds. The focus of PEPFAR is prevention, treatment and care of those most affected by HIV/AIDS however the impact of the program on social norms like female empowerment is yet to be assessed. Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) measure female empowerment in two sets of questions: women’s participation in the decision-making process and if wife beating is justified. This proposal aims at predicting current contraceptive use by spousal discordance in variables related to female empowerment from DHS conducted in 9 Sub-Saharan African countries from 1992 to 2016. Logistic regression models will be analyzed to determine the impact of partner discordance on contraceptive use.

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 Presented in Session 10. Fertility, Family Planning, Sexual Behavior & Reproductive Health 2