Menstrual Pattern, Sexual Behaviors and Contraceptive Use among Postpartum Women in Nairobi Slums

John G. Cleland, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)
Nyovani Madise, University of Southampton
Robert P. Ndugwa, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)
Martin K. Mutua, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)

This study examines the time-to-menstrual resumptions among postpartum women; their sexual behavioral patterns in the period immediately after delivery, including contraceptive use; and how their use of contraception links with the menstrual resumption and sexual behaviors. This paper uses data from a Maternal and Child Health component of a 5-year Urbanization, Poverty and Health Dynamics longitudinal study carried out by the African Population and Health Research Center in two slums in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. These slums are Korogocho and Viwandani. This study is ongoing and entails interviewing all women who had live births since September 2006. For this study, completed interview data from about 2,157 women are used. To assess the time-to-event regarding resumption of menstrual flow, resumption of sex, pregnancy and use of contraception, survival analysis methods are used. Univariate and multivariate analyses are used to determine the effect of age, education and parity on the outcome variables.