Perception and Practices Regarding Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive Methods among Mothers of Urban Communities in Bangladesh

Background: Utilization of contraception is a crucial strategy for reducing fertility rates. It is necessary for the effectiveness of the national family program that woman of reproductive age who has at least one living child should use contraceptives which are long-acting and reversible. Aim: To assess the perception and practice of long acting contraceptive methods (LARC) among mothers of an urban communities. Materials and method: This community-based descriptive cross-sectional study purposively selected 180 mothers of reproductive age (18-49 years) with at least one living child under 2 years old, excluding women who had undergone bilateral tubal ligation. Data was collected between January and December 2022 using a pretested, face-to-face, semi-structured questionnaire.Results: The mean age of respondents was 33.3±8.4 years. Most respondents (44.4%) were not using any contraceptives, and 66.7% were not using LARC, while 33.3% were. LARC perception was significantly associated with both women's and husbands' education levels (p<0.05), and marginally with husband's age (p<0.05). Women with lower education levels and homemakers were more likely to use LARC (p<0.05). Those with fewer than two living children, no desire for more children, and NVD in their last delivery were also more likely to use LARC. Perception of LARC was strongly allied to its use (p<0.05).Conclusion: To develop a strategy for increasing LARC use among mothers in Bangladesh's urban community, further research with a larger, representative sample is needed to establish a baseline. J Med Coll Women Hosp.2025; 21 (2):47-61