Reasons for contraceptive nonuse at two sites in Burkina Faso

Objective: We examine reasons for contraceptive nonuse in Burkina Faso.Study Design: We draw from a population-based survey of 3,929 women, of whom 2,462 were nonusers of contraception.We use descriptive statistics to examine the distribution of reasons for nonuse.Results: Over 80% of respondents reported lack of desire or need for contraception as motivating nonuse.Conventional access barriers, like cost or distance, were uncommon.Conclusions: Restricted access to contraception was not a commonly reported barrier to contraceptive use in this context.Implications: Sexual and reproductive health researchers should avoid assuming that nonusers lack contraceptive access.Future research should explore further reasons for contraceptive nonuse.