Background: Family planning (FP) is one of the main strategies to reduce maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. However, only 8% of women use modern contraceptive methods in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is estimated that at least 50% of women stop using Modern Contraceptive Methods (MCM) in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with MCM discontinuation in Kinshasa. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in Kinshasa from April

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... hrough June 2019. Three hundred and eighty-seven women who attended 10 health facilities in 10 health zones of Kinshasa (one facility per health zone) were enrolled in the study. Predictors of modern contraceptive discontinuation were investigated, using Cox regression. Results: The proportion of MCM discontinuation was 21.4% (95% CI: 17.6-25.8); 60.2% for implants and 24.1% for contraceptive injections. Predictors for dicontinuation were: unemployement (Hz.R = 2.23; 95% CI: 1.35 - 3.70; p = 0.003); having no or only one child (Hz.R = 2.89; 95% CI : 1.43 - 5.85; p = 0.015); using a short-acting method (Hz.R = 4.61; 95% CI: 2.81 - 7.56; p <0.001); lack of sufficient explanations about MCM (Hz.R = 3.14; 95% CI: 1.93-5.11; p <0.001) and side effects (Hz.R = 2.93; 95% CI: 1.79 - 4.80; p = 0.001). Conclusion: MCM discontinuation was high among women in Kinshasa. While it is important to reinforce strategies to increase MCM uptake, it is also critical to increase its continuation.