Association between internet use and modern contraceptive uptake among women of reproductive age in Rwanda: evidence from the 2019–2020 Rwanda DHS

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Modern contraceptives are pertinent to the reduction of unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortion, and maternal mortality. Unfortunately, the prevalence rate of modern contraceptive use is low in most Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries including Rwanda. The use of internet promotes access to information on the need for childbearing postponement, prevention of unintended pregnancy, child spacing, and limiting family size. However, there is dearth of knowledge on the link between internet use and modern contraceptive use among Rwandan women. This study was therefore designed to fill the gap by assessing the relationship between exposure to the internet and uptake of modern contraceptives in Rwanda. Methodology This cross-sectional design study was a secondary data analysis of the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey. Sexually active women aged 15–49 years ( n = 7290) were included in the study. The outcome variable and key independent variable was modern contraceptive use and internet use respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and logistic regression model (α 0.05 ). Results Modern contraceptive prevalence rate was 58.8%, and 10.9% of the women were using internet services. Adjusting for other factors revealed that women who used internet had about 16% (AOR: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.93–1.45) increased odds of modern contraceptive use compared to women who did not. Other predictors of modern contraceptive use included age, marital status, educational level, religion, occupation, and the number of living children. Conclusion Internet usage increased the utilization of modern contraceptive among Rwandan women of reproductive age. Thus, strategies to improve the use of modern contraceptive among Rwanda women of reproductive age should include providing appropriate easily accessible internet information about modern contraceptives. Government investment in appropriate social marketing of modern contraceptive through internet services is strongly recommended.