Abstract:

Background: Modern family planning, agent, devices, methods or procedures that diminish or prevent the likelihood of conception. Unplanned and unwanted pregnancies often end up in induced abortions and their complications. Larger families and many babies are most likely to affect the health of mother and family. Also in situations of too close pregnancies, children usually are not optimally breastfed and may develop malnutrition. Contraceptive methods have classified either traditional or modern methods.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess the knowledge and practice of women of reproductive age 15-49 at Makongoro clinic Nyamagana district in Mwanza.

Methodology: Cross sectional study was applied to collect data. Questionnaire was used to collect data among 100 participants. SPSS was used for data entry and data analysis and interpretations. Whereby 100 participants were obtained by systematic sampling. The data obtained were encoded and then entered in the SPSS version 20 for analysis. The results were represented using frequency tables, bar graphs.

Results: Modern family planning methods were generally applied by most of the participants at Makongoro health centre in Nyamagana district, whereby implants was the method used mostly (34%), Followed by injectable type (23%). More than three quarter of the participants had knowledge on contraceptive methods and use was high among the participants. 70% of participants used modern family planning while only 30% of the participants did not use modern family planning methods.

Conclusion: More education on contraceptive methods as one of the way used in family planning should be provided to women in reproductive age. This will increase the use of contraceptive among women and also will increase attitude toward the use of contraceptives.