Trends and determinants of unmet need for family planning in Kenya

Data come from the 1993, 1998, and 2003 Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys (KDHS). A starting point for this study is the observation that contraceptive prevalence and fertility in Kenya have levelled off in the recent past. These trends have implications for the Kenyan family planning program, and in particular the demand for contraception and access to services. The concept of unmet need for family planning brings these two issues together. Presumably, if most of the potential demand for family planning could be met with supplies and services, then contraceptive use would rise again, and fertility would fall further. (Author abstract)