Introduction: globally, there were an estimated 289,000 maternal deaths in 2013, a decline of 45% from 1990. The sub-Saharan Africa region alone accounted for 62% (179,000) of global deaths followed by Southern Asia at 24% (69,000). The global MMR in 2013 was 210 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, down from 380 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990. Fortunately, the vast majority of maternal and newborn deaths can be prevented with proven interventions to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted using modern contraceptive and every birth is safe. So this research intended to assess utilization of long acting reversible contraceptives and associated factors among women of reproductive age groups.

Methods: an institutional based cross-sectional study conducted in Harar city among 402 study participants. The study participants were selected by using systematic random sampling method. The quantitative data were collected using structured interviewer administered questionnaires. All variables with p-value of ≤ 0.25 in bivariate logistic regression were taken into multivariable model. Variables having p value ≤ 0.05 in the multivariate analysis were taken as significant predictors. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with their 95% confidence intervals were calculated.

Results: the study identified that the utilization of long acting reversible contraception among women of reproductive age was 38%. Study participants whose occupation was daily laborer were less likely to utilize long acting reversible contraception compared to those whose occupation was house wife (adjusted OR = 0.3; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.8). Moreover, those mothers who were unable to read and write utilize long acting reversible contraception 5 times more likely compared to those who were above grade 12 (adjusted OR = 4.9; 95% CI 1.2 to 19.6).

Conclusion: the utilization of long acting reversible contraception seems high compared to previous study, but the finding was still low. Moreover, maternal educational status and occupation were factors found to have statistical significant association with utilization of long acting reversible contraception. The health care providers and government need to work on awareness creation through health education and mass communication respectively.