Utilization of family planning services by married Sudanese women of reproductive age

To explore differences in utilization of family planning services and predisposing factors, we surveyed 601 women from urban and rural areas of Khartoum state. About half were using modern family planning techniques; there were no significant differences in utilization rates between urban and rural settings. Contraceptive pills were the most frequently used modern method (47.7%) followed by intrauterine devices (10.2%) and injections (7.5%). Breastfeeding was used by around 33% of both groups. The rhythm method and withdrawal were more often used by urban women (22.2% and 8.6% respectively) than rural women (16.1% and 3.6% respectively). Use of male methods (condom; sterilization) was extremely low. Socioeconomic status, knowledge and education level were the most important determinants of using modern methods.