Addis Ababa: Difference between revisions

In Ethiopia, you can purchase birth control without a prescription. While many contraceptive options are available to Ethiopian women, and some are entirely free, the rate of usage is not supremely high. It is estimated that about 36% of Ethiopian women (of reproductive age) use some form of contraception. The most popular methods are injectables (25.1%), implants (7.6%), pills (4.2%) and other traditional methods (3.2%).<ref>[http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/family/trendsContraceptiveUse2015Report.pdf Trends in Contraceptive Use Worldwide 2015]</ref> When young women (ages 15-24) engage in unprotected or "high-risk" sex, about 17% use condoms.<ref>[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pCHmq8vVdI23y7z1Fkji8S9ghyl0mB5KgtXlUMPOwAs/pub Condom Usage by Country]</ref> This can be partially attributed to the fact that many Ethiopian women live in rural areas, where the nearest access to a health center can be a full day's walk. Furthermore, religion plays a critical role in Ethiopian society, with the most predominant religions being Ethiopian Orthodoxy (43.5%), Islam (33.9%) and Pentay Protestantism (20.6%).<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Ethiopia Religion in Ethiopian]</ref> For many women, there is social, religious or cultural pressure to avoid contraception. This means that, even for urban women, where they may have health care facilities in their own neighborhoods, they may also not seek out contraceptive methods or consultations with nurses. Some women may even choose to have secret occasional abortions rather than engage in a regular contraceptive plan.<ref>[http://www.pinkpangea.com/2015/03/finding-birth-control-in-ethiopia-the-real-deal-with-lizzie-pelz/ Birth Control in Ethiopia: A Conversation with Lizzie Pelz]</ref>