Use of modern contraceptive methods among youth in the Alunguli health zone, city of Kindu, Maniema Province in the DRC: Impact evaluation study of the Bomoyi SANRU asbl project

Abstract Background The use of contraceptive methods remains an imperative for birth spacing. The Bomoyi project of SANRU Asbl, has invested during the last 3 years to improve its use among adolescents. The objective of this study was to assess the level of contraceptive use among youth in the Alunguli health zone. Methods The study was conducted in the Alunguli Health Zone, one of 18 health zones in the Maniema Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was a descriptive cross-sectional study with an analytical purpose from June 1 to December 31, 2021. A stratified sample of 345 youth records was randomly selected. The data were processed and analyzed using SPSS 14.0 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). Results The rate modern contraceptive methods use among youth in the Alunguli Health Zone was 36.8%. The majority (58.3%) used condoms. Age, gender, education level, occupation and religion of youth were the determinants associated with low use of modern contraceptive methods among youth in the Alunguli Health Zone. Conclusion The use of modern contraceptive methods by young people in the Alunguli health zone was much higher than the provincial average of 10.4% noted in Maniema in 2018 for women aged 15 to 49 who were married or in union, or the average of 0% among unmarried women in the same age bracket.