Contraceptive Use in Urban Kenya: Recent Trends and Differentials Set in the Policy and Program Context

Jean-Christophe Fotso, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
Carol K Mukiira, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
Gwendolyn Morgan, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
Michael Mutua, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)

Using data from the 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2008 Kenya demographic and health surveys, this study investigates trends in contraception use and in the source of contraception in urban Kenya; examines how these trends vary between the urban poor and the urban non-poor; and investigates the extent to which these findings may be related to Kenya’s family planning and reproductive health policies and programs. The results show that while huge gaps remain between the urban poor and the urban non-poor, contraceptive use more than doubled among the urban poor during the 15-year period, from 21% to 46.2%. By contrast, it remained at the same level among the non-poor, at around 50%. Further, private sources for contraception have been on the rise among all socioeconomic groups (both in terms of wealth and education) in urban Kenya. These findings will be discussed against the country’s policy and program context.