Kenyans are Increasingly Opting for Permanent Birth Control

The cost of raising a family amid the effects of COVID-19 is highlighted by the 13.5 percent increase in the number of Kenyan women seeking permanent birth control procedures last year.

According to official data, 4,107 women underwent bilateral tubal ligations (BTL) in 2022, up from 3,616 the year before.

BTL is a surgical procedure that blocks the fallopian tubes to stop the fertilization of the ovum (egg).

When men showed up for vasectomy procedures, another form of permanent contraception, a similar pattern was noted.

According to data, the number of males who underwent vasectomy nearly doubled in 2022 to 557, up from 248 in 2021.

“Permanent family planning methods recorded high uptake with the number of females undergoing sterilization tubal ligation increasing to 4,107 while male Sterilization Vasectomy recorded 557 clients during the review period,” shows the economic data released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).

With 2.6 million users, including 572,775 new users, family planning injections were the most popular method of contraception. This was an increase from the previous year’s figure of 2.4 million.

It was followed by Implants Insertions, which had 1.1 million clients and gained 566,769 new ones.

As a result of limited access to health services due to stringent containment measures imposed by the government to curb the spread of Covid-19, the number of women opting for the coil in 2022 dropped 34%, from 111,977 in 2020 to 74,374 in 2022.

“There was a decline in the uptake of modern contraceptive methods except for Pills Combined Oral Contraceptives and Sterilization for both males and females,” the KNBS acknowledged.

Kenya’s population growth rate has been declining over time due to increasing female literacy and continued public awareness of the benefits of family planning, which helps to reduce birth rates.

According to the most recent Population and Housing Census data, the nation had the slowest rate of population growth, growing by only 2.2 percent to 47.56 million people between 2009 and 2019.