Awareness and utilization of modern contraceptives among street women in North-West Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 204 street women from Gondar and Bahir Dar cities. Participants were recruited from “cluster” sites such as main road sides, isolated slum areas, around Churches and/or Mosques (in the mornings of Sundays and other religious feast days) and streets where street women usually reside and/or sleep. Data were collected using a pre-tested and structured interview questionnaire in local language (Amharic) after informed verbal consent. Data were then entered into SPSS version 16.0 for analysis. Binary logistic regression models were fit to assess associations and control confounding. Associations were measured by the Odds ratio and its 95% confidence interval.The mean (±SD) age of participants was 30.9 (± 8.7) years. Majority (90.7%) had ever heard about modern contraceptives. Nearly half (47.1%) had ever used and a third (34.3%) were current users. Three quarter of the current users (74.3%) were using injectables while 10% were on long acting or permanent methods. Marital status (AOR=2.81), family size (AOR=2.67) and age of 25–34 years (AOR=3.45) were associated with modern contraceptive use.Current contraceptive use among street women is satisfactory considering their life styles and living conditions. However, further research is required to explain perceptions and hidden barriers.The increasing growth of population has become an urgent problem in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian population grew at an alarming rate from about 40 million in 1984 to 54 million in 1994 and about 74 million in 2007 [1]. Currently, Ethiopian population is growing more than double the average global population growth rate (2.60% Vs 1.13%) [1,2]. Ethiopia has a high maternal mortality rate (676 per 100,000 live births) [3]. Contraceptive use can improve maternal health and is one of the strategies to achieve improved maternal health worldwide [4].Poor reproductive health causes widespread hardship to families and communities, particularly in the developing worl