Women's empowerment and contraceptive use in ever-married adult women: Analysis of a population-based survey in Peru

Objective: Evaluate the relationship between women's empowerment and the use of modern contraceptive methods. Study design: A secondary analysis was conducted using the 2022 Demographic and Health Survey of Peru, selecting women who were married, ever married, or cohabiting with a partner. The survey-based Women's Empowerment Index was employed to assess empowerment, and the dependent variable was the use of modern contraceptives at the time of the interview. Regression analysis was performed using generalized linear models of the Poisson family. Results: Sixty percent of the selected women were using a contraceptive method at the time of the survey. We found an association between low empowerment levels and lower frequency of modern contraceptive use (aPR = 0.87, p = 0.001). Additionally, among the empowerment domains, we observed that lower levels of independence (aPR = 0.89, p = 0.001) and tolerance of intimate partner violence (aPR = 0.75, p = 0.003) were associated with a lower frequency of modern contraceptive use. Conclusion: Women's empowerment is related to the use of modern contraceptive methods, as well as its various domains. Future studies should evaluate different perspectives, such as empowerment and decision-making in the sexual and reproductive aspects. Implications: The level of female empowerment is directly related to the use of modern contraceptive methods, a relevant situation in culturally diverse developing countries. Sexual health promoters need to encourage autonomy in the decision to use appropriate methods for proper family planning.