Trends in contraceptive use in Tanzania, 1996-2016

Only one in four Sub-Saharan African women have access to contraceptive methods (Tilahun, 2016). Although birth rates are decreasing, and contraceptive use is increasing in much of the developed world, birth rates are classified as high and contraceptive use as very low in much of Sub-Saharan Africa (Larsson & Stanfors, 2014). In twenty years, Tanzania’s fertility rate has only slightly decreased - from 5.8 in 1996 to 5.0 in 2016 (The World Bank, 2019). One way to reduce high fertility rates is through contraceptive use to limit unwanted pregnancies (Brown et al., 2015). The current study uses nationally representative data from Demographic and Health Survey data collected by the United States Agency for International Development in the United Republic of Tanzania. Five cycles of survey data (1996, 1999, 2004-2005, 2010, and 2015-2016) were analyzed to determine trends in contraceptive use among Tanzanian women aged 15-49 years. Individuals reporting no use of any method of contraception decreased by 18% (p