Table 4 Common reasons for choosing, not choosing, and switching methods among ever users of long- and short-term methods

 Longer protection

17 (77.3%)

18 (94.7%)

0.026

 Better choice for child spacing

17 (77.3%)

16 (84.2%)

0.231

 Better effectiveness

18 (81.8%)

14 (73.7%)

0.581

 Needed method not requiring daily application

16 (72.7%)

12 (63.2%)

0.592

 More comfort and less worries during use

15 (68.2%)

12 (63.2%)

0.407

Reason suggested by short-acting methods users for not choosing a long-acting method

Urban (N = 98)

Rural (N = 41)

P

n (%)

n (%)

 Needed a method they can control themselves

74 (75.5%)

28 (68.3%)

0.385

 Intended to conceive in near future

67 (68.4%)

25 (61.0%)

0.507

 Did not know the long-term methods

31 (31.6%)

16 (39.0%)

0.040

 Opposition from partners to long-term methods

18 (18.3%)

14 (34.1%)

0.039

 Unavailability of long-term methods

14 (14.3%)

11 (26.8%)

0.079

 Long-term methods are expensive

15 (15.5%)

5 (12.2%)

0.694

 No trained staff to give method

10 (10.2%)

9 (22.0%)

0.057

 Other reasons (e.g., side effects)

10 (10.2%)

2 (4.9%)

0.325

Reason suggested by short-acting methods users, as well as some of the long-acting methods users who had used short-acting methods in the past for choosing a short-term method

(N = 104)

(N = 47)

P

n (%)

n (%)

 Ease of access

95 (84.8%)

41 (78.9%)

0.344

 Method is cheap

91 (87.5%)

32 (68.1%)

0.010

 Freedom to stop use without involving health provider

87 (83.7%)

28 (59.6%)

0.001

 Privacy

80 (76.9%)

33 (70.2%)

0.918

 Fewer side effects

71 (68.3%)

31 (66.0%)

0.367

 Did not know about other methods

22 (21.2%)

15 (31.9%)

0.121

 Can be used as a temporary or back up method

13 (11.9%)

16 (34.8%)

<0.001