Background: One of the main methods of family planning involves use of contraceptives to reduce the chance of pregnancy.
Objective: The present study was designed to evaluate the utilization of contraception methods and the side effects among women attending the maternal and child healthcare (MCH) centers in Mukalla city, Hadhramout, Yemen.
Methods: A Cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2022 among 422 women were attending the maternal and child healthcare (MCH) centers in Mukalla city and using contraception method. The data was collected by face to face interview and by using structured questionnaires. The data was analyzed by using statistical package for social science (SPSS version 24) software.
Results: We analyzed data from 422 participants: 210 oral contraceptive pills users, 108 implanon users, 81 intrauterine device users and 23 injectable users. Most of the women (49.5%) were using oral contraceptive pills for birth control. A total of 78.7% of participants experienced at least one side effect, of which hair loss (48.6%), abnormal vaginal bleeding (44.4%), amenorrhea (43.5%) and mood swings (37.0%) were most common. Survey results showed a significant association between side effects and duration contraception use (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: The use of modern method of contraceptive among the women was high. Also, the side effects observed were high. Greater attention should be paid to understanding the unique contributions of side effects to contraceptive behavior using population based data. Providing greater individualized care that includes information and counseling about common side effects.