Factors influencing the use of modern contraceptive methods among rural women of child bearing age in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

CONTEXT: This study reports the unique findings of factors influencing the use of modern contraceptives (MC) among women of childbearing age in Minembwe, a rural community of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. AIMS: The study aimed at assessing the contributing factors to the use of MC in African rural communities. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This descriptive study used a structured questionnaire to collect primary data distributed to women after obtaining their consent. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: The data collected were analyzed using IBM-SPSS version 21.0. RESULTS: Totally, 370 respondents comprising 53.2% women of over 30 years of age. All the 18 health facilities were stock out for both implants and injectable contraceptives during the study period. There were only 3 Medical doctors, 84 Nurses, and 180 other healthcare workers in a population of 86,153 including 18,092 women in reproductive age. About 22.0% spend between 31 and 45 minutes walking to the nearest healthcare facility. The majority (85.7%) of the women did not use any contraceptive. The major factors influencing the uptake of MC are religion inclination (67.4%) disapproval by husbands (40.9%), fear of health problems/side effects (32.6%), and the urge to have more children (20.5%). CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to further enlighten women of rural African communities on the need to use MC methods for birth control and other benefits. There is a need to enlighten the religious and traditional leaders and the community to support the use of family planning in order to minimize maternal and child mortality rate.