Flagship research · Nigeria
North–South Disparities in Contraceptive Use Duration and Early Discontinuation Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Nigeria
A national analysis showing where contraceptive use ends early, who faces the greatest discontinuation risk, and how the evidence can improve family-planning monitoring.
- Period
- 2025–2026
- Role
- Lead author and analyst
- Context
- 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey
01 / The work
Following the evidence from question to use.
This study moves beyond contraceptive uptake to examine whether use is sustained. It analyzes the duration and early discontinuation of contraceptive methods among adolescent girls and young women aged 15–24 in Nigeria, with attention to regional and social disparities.
How do contraceptive-use duration and discontinuation within 12 months differ between Northern and Southern Nigeria, and which sociodemographic and reproductive factors shape those patterns?
Approach
- 01Cross-sectional secondary analysis of 5,821 adolescent girls and young women aged 15–24 who recently discontinued a contraceptive method
- 02Survey-weighted descriptive analysis and logistic regression in SAS
- 03Region-by-religion interaction testing, followed by region-stratified analysis
- 04Translation of findings into an implementation-focused policy brief
02 / Evidence
What the work contributes.
- 01
Early discontinuation was 95.5% in Northern Nigeria and 74.2% in Southern Nigeria.
- 02
Contraceptive use generally lasted for fewer months in northern geopolitical zones.
- 03
Age, education, wealth, number of children, and marital status remained important after adjustment.
- 04
The relationship between religion and discontinuation differed by region, pointing to distinct social contexts rather than geography alone.
03 / Outputs
Materials and next steps.
Continue exploring