Prevalence of Contraceptive Use among Married Women of Reproductive Age Group in a Rural Area of Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Population explosion is one of the important issues in all around the world and more specifically in a developing country like Bangladesh. Contraceptives are devices, techniques and methods used to prevent fertilization thereby population explosion.The present study is an attempt to assess the prevalence of contraceptive use among married women of reproductive age in a selected rural area in Bangladesh.Objectives: To assess the prevalence of contraceptive use among married women of reproductive age group (15-49 years) in a rural area of Bangladesh.Materials and Methods: This descriptive type of cross sectional study was conducted from February 2012 to June 2012 in Mulaid village of Gazipur district, Bangladesh. Purposive sampling technique was followed. Data were collected in a structured questionnaire through face to face interview. Study population was all married women of reproductive age group. Sample size was 420. Results: Among 420 respondents, 62.3% were using contraceptive methods at the time of study and rest, 37.7% were not using due to some reasons, such as pregnancy, breast feeding etc. A mostly used contraceptive method among current users (69%) was oral contraceptive pill. Conclusion: This study revealed the awareness about contraceptive used among the married women. More health education on reproductive health through school health clinic, family planning services and mass media can improve the health and family planning situation of our country. Government should provide more fund for research purposes in order to raise the awareness and control population explosion. Keywords: Contraceptive Methods, Reproduction, Bangladesh.