Women's Autonomy and Reproductive Health Behaviour in Ghana

Abstract

Ensuring optimum reproductive health through universal access to family planning services is key to human development. Though knowledge of contraception is high in Ghana its use among married women is very low, a phenomenon attributed to women’s lack of power or autonomy in sexual relationships. This study primarily sought to examine the levels of women’s autonomy in Ghana and determine the extent to which women’s contraceptive use is precipitated by their autonomy in relationships. The study also assessed other socio-economic and demographic characteristics of women that are associated with their contraceptive use. The study used data from the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. Guided by previous studies women’s autonomy was measured by two indices, decision-making autonomy and autonomy from violence which were computed. Univariate analysis measured the distribution of respondents and their characteristics and showed that a majority of the respondents reported some decision-making autonomy and autonomy from violence. The relationship between autonomy, the control variables and contraceptive use was analysed using bivariate techniques. At the multivariate level, the relationship between contraceptive use and these indices were analysed while controlling for socio-economic and demographic characteristics using binary logistic regression. Neither dimension of women’s autonomy was found to be a significant predictor of contraceptive use. Woman’s age, wealth status, region of residence, educational attainment and number of living children showed significant associations with contraceptive use. . Findings from the study inform recommendations to improve contraceptive use. There is also need for further research into the standardisation and dynamics of women’s autonomy and its effect on reproductive health behaviour