Author(s)

Abdoul Aziz Ndiaye^1*, Niang Aminata¹, Tall Alioune Badara¹, Diop-BA Awa¹, Ngom-Gueye Ndeye Fatou¹, Dia Mountaga¹, Bop Martial Coly¹, Gaye Awa¹, Gueye Lamine¹, Tal-Dia Anta²

¹Department of Community Health, University of Bambey, Bambey, Senegal.
²Department Public Health, University Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal.

Family planning is an effective intervention to improve the health of the mother, newborn and child. It was introduced in Senegal in the 1960s. Significant disparities were noted between urban and rural areas. This research aimed at measuring family planning methods knowledge and practices among reproductive age women (RAW) in the village of Widou Thiengoly, Louga region, Senegal. A descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study was carried out from 12 to 20 August 2016 and involved 150 RAW with an average age of 29.34 years. They were mostly married (98%), with a fertility rate of 3.22 children/woman. 67.3% of RAW knew at least one FP method and the contraceptive prevalence was 40.7%. Birth spacing is the main reason or utilization for more than half of users, while for non-users, more than half were ignorant of FP. Knowledge and practices of contraception were not related to the age of WCA, or the number of children. Fears or experiences of side effects were barriers to initiation and continuous use of FP methods, hence the importance of focusing awareness campaigns on alleviating fears about side effects.

Knowledge, Practices, Family Planning, Widou Thiengoly-Senegal

Ndiaye, A. , Aminata, N. , Badara, T. , Awa, D. , Ndeye Fatou, N. , Mountaga, D. , Coly, B. , Awa, G. , Lamine, G. and Anta, T. (2018) Family Planning Knowledge and Practices among Reproductive Age Women in Widou Thiengoly, Louga Region, Senegal. Advances in Reproductive Sciences, 6, 1-11. doi: 10.4236/arsci.2018.61001.