In nakuru, women are still waiting for contraceptives

Four out of 10 women in Nakuru County do not have access to contraceptives, a report by the County Health Department shows.

The District Health Information System (DHIS) 2015/2016 report shows that the birth control uptake in the county is at 46 per cent with Naivasha Sub-County leading at 61 percent, while Kuresoi North has the lowest uptake of birth control methods, at 28 per cent.

According to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey 2014, use of family planning methods in Nakuru stood at 56.8 per cent, with 38 per cent of women using modern contraceptives, which is below the national average of 58 per cent.

The overall unmet need for family planning in the county is at 35 per cent, against a national average of 18 per cent. Low levels of literacy, culture and religion are some of the key factors cited as hindrances to the use of contraceptives by women in Nakuru County.

“Three out of 10 married women with no education lack access to information on family planning compared to one in 10 women with secondary or higher education,” states the report.

“Many women still have to seek the consent of their spouses before making any decisions concerning family planning and child spacing. Religion also plays a key role with players such as the Catholic Church prohibiting the use of modern contraceptives for birth control,” it adds.