# Are rural adolescent girls in Senegal more likely to use family planning? DHS 2023 analysis

## TL;DR

This study finds that rural adolescent girls in Senegal are less likely to use modern contraception, highlighting the need for targeted health interventions.

## Contribution

The study identifies rural residence as a key determinant of contraceptive use among Senegalese adolescent girls using 2023 DHS data.

## Key findings

- Only 2.05% of surveyed adolescent girls in Senegal reported using contraception.
- Rural residence was associated with lower odds of contraceptive use (AOR = 0.58).
- Married adolescents were significantly more likely to use contraception (AOR = 20.61).

## Abstract

In Senegal, adolescent reproductive health is a public health priority.

The objective of this research is to identify and analyse the key determinants of modern contraceptive uptake among Senegalese adolescents in 2023.

The study focused on adolescent family planning in Senegal in 2023.

The study draws on secondary data from the 2023 Senegal Demographic and Health Survey. The sample comprised 16 583 women aged 15–49 years. Adolescent girls aged 15–19 years represented 4024 individuals. The analysis included descriptive, comparative and multivariable statistical approaches. The outcome variable was binary, indicating whether or not a modern contraceptive method was used. All analyses were conducted using STATA version 15.

Among the adolescent girls surveyed, 19.33% reported having initiated sexual intercourse, with the earliest reported age at sexual debut being 9 years. Additionally, 10.77% had engaged in sexual activity within the 4 weeks preceding the survey, indicating recent sexual activity. However, only 2.05% (n = 80) of these adolescents reported using contraception at the time of the survey. Factors significantly associated with the use of modern contraceptive methods included residing in a rural area (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.58; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.34–0.96), being married (AOR = 20.61; 95% CI: 11.43–37.14), low socioeconomic status (AOR = 2.35; 95% CI: 1.35–4.08), and identifying as Christian (AOR = 3.41; 95% CI: 2.52–18.19).

These findings underscore the need for targeted and context-sensitive sexual and reproductive health interventions. In particular, efforts should prioritise improving access to modern contraception among the most vulnerable subgroups, including adolescent girls living in rural areas, those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and unmarried adolescents.

This study provides a better understanding of the determinants of family planning among adolescents, which can inform the development of evidence-based health programmes aimed at improving the sexual and reproductive health of Senegalese women.