An assessment of factors that determine usage of contraceptive services among adolescent women in Lesotho: An analytical cross-sectional study of Maseru city secondary school students

Abstract

In the Maseru district, the high prevalence of unintended pregnancies among adolescents aged between 15 to 19 years may be due to non-use of modern contraceptive methods. It is therefore important to investigate possible barriers adolescents in Maseru in Lesotho face in accessing contraceptive methods and services. This research has therefore focused on the factors that affect the accessibility and usage of contraceptive services among in-school adolescent girls in Maseru City, Lesotho.The study was an observational, analytical, cross-sectional study. A sample of 10 high schools in Maseru city was selected as study sites, using computer-generated random numbers. A stratified random sampling method was used to enrol a total of 368 sexually active respondents, aged 15-19 years into the study. Data was collected using a structured one-on-one interviewer administered questionnaire and analysis was conducted using the STATA 14 statistical software programme. Ethical approval was obtained from the Biomedical Research and Ethics Committee (University of the Western Cape) and the Lesotho Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Written parental/caregiver informed consent and written participant consent and assent, as per the Lesotho law were obtained.