Extended post-partum modern contraceptive utilization and associated factors among women in Arba Minch town, Southern Ethiopia

INTRODUCTION: Post-partum family planning is a novel strategy to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by preventing unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion. However, little was done on community-based design to assess modern contraceptive use during an extended postpartum period in southern Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess modern contraceptive use during extended postpartum period and factors associated among women who gave birth in the previous twelve months in southern Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 416 women in Arba Minch town. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to select the enrolled women. Data were collected using a structured and pretested questionnaire. The data were entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 then exported to statically package of social science (SPSS) version 25 for data analysis. RESULT: Among enrolled postpartum women, 64.7% were used modern contraceptives for the last 12 months. Women were more likely to use a modern contraceptive during the extended period of postpartum if they resumed sexual intercourse (AOR:7.4 [4.08, 13.23]), received post-partum family planning counseling (AOR: 3.2 [1.95, 5.28]), and if they resumed menses (AOR: 5.3 [3.12, 9.15]) than the counterpart. Being young age women (AOR: 3.2 [1.05, 9.82]) compared to age above 35 years and married (AOR:3.2 [1.17–10.28]) compared to currently unmarried were significantly associated factors for modern contraceptive use during the extended period of postpartum. CONCLUSION: The level of modern contraceptive utilization during the extended postpartum period was satisfactory. Therefore, in light of this finding, there is a need to improve the strengthening and scale-up antenatal and postnatal counseling of contraceptive use during the extended postpartum period, advice on preceding the return of menses, and give better attention for older age and unmarried women education on family planning.