There was not much data available on whether contraceptive methods differentially modify women’s risk of anemia or not. This study was done to compare the hemoglobin status of women currently using different fertility regulation methods in SSA where anemia is a major concern.
The data of 105 532 women were included in the analysis. Respondents were selected using multistage sampling techniques and hemoglobin was determined using the HemoCue analyzer.
36.7% of the women had anemia. Current use of modern contraceptives, as compared with non-use, was associated with a 25% reduction in the odds of anemia. Comparison among individual modern methods showed, as compared with current barrier methods users, the use of injectables, oral contraceptive pills (OCP), and implants were significantly associated with reduced odds of anemia. With reference to women with less than 12 months of use, the odds were significantly reduced by about a quarter among women with more than 12 months of OCP or injectables used.
The study concluded through its findings that the use of hormonal contraceptives is associated with lower odds of anemia.
Reference: https://srh.bmj.com/content/45/1/54
