Chioma Umeha
When Mrs. Taiwo Olubunmi, a 42-year- old mother
was counselled to adopt family planning two years ago after the delivery of her
fourth child, it was like a ‘hard pill to swallow.’
Bunmi as she is fondly called by acquaintances was
skeptical following many negative stories that she has heard about the
different methods of family planning.
In some communities in Africa, Nigeria included,
misconceptions and skepticisms about the use of family planning or child
spacing are still rife.
Some of the fallacies include that use of family
planning make women promiscuous, gain excess weight, bleed heavily, causes
cancer etc.
This also extended to sexual relationship where
some couples erroneously believe that family planning would deprive them of
sexual pleasure.
Some even believe that family planning can make a
woman not to get pregnant again, if she desires to. There are women who also
believe they cannot use family planning as long as they are breastfeeding.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines family
planning as something that “allows individuals and couples to anticipate and
attain their desired number of children and the spacing and timing of their
births. It is achieved through use of contraceptive methods and the treatment
of involuntary infertility.”
‘I have nothing to worry about unplanned
pregnancy’
The practice which has many ‘unfounded’
accompanying negative rumors and myths, having inflicted fear on Bunmi, made
her initially unwilling to embrace the modern contraceptive use.
Today, the happy mother of four children says that
she has no regret accepting family planning and is now enjoying both her family
and sex life.
She is among many women who have not only overcome
the fears of age-long myths about family planning, but have turned advocates,
preaching the benefits of the practice in Alapere, Agoyi-Ketu Local Council
Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos state.
Bunmi further says that she is delighted with the
use of implant method of family planning. Speaking with DAILY INDEPENDENT
during a recent field trip to the area organised by Pathfinder International,
she discloses, “I have been enjoying sex with my husband without fear of
getting pregnant since I started using the implant method of family planning. I
now have peace of mind unlike before, and knowing that I have nothing to worry
about unplanned pregnancy.
“All these are possible because my husband supported
this family planning process. It is our right to decide the number of children
that we want to have. ”
The same scenario is playing out in the case of
Mrs. Adeyemi Titilope, a mother of two. The highly elated accountant who works
with a firm in Lagos told DAILY INDEPENDENT that she has been on the implant
method of family planning, since the past six months.
She declares, “I was introduced to the implant
method at the Primary Health Care Centre, Mascara, in Alapere, Ikosi
Agoyi-ketu. Some tests were carried out before the implant was inserted on my
arm.
Like Bunmi, Titilope also said that family
planning has brought sexual bliss to her home.
Clearly expressing fulfilment, she further says,
“Although, one month after the insertion, I saw some blood droppings and so I
went back to the provider who introduced me to family planning and I was told
it’s just for a while. Right now, I am fine. I enjoy every style and position
of sexual intimacy with my husband without complaining.”
‘I now enjoy sex with my husband’
Also, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Ajewole acknowledged that
the use of contraceptive method has saved her and her husband from having more
children than they could cater for.
The visibly elated, Toyin as fondly called by
relatives reveals, “You can see I have six children already which is even too
much. When I had my sixth child, one matron came to me and told me to use
family planning otherwise I would soon give birth to the seventh one. I said,
God forbid, the sixth one was even a mistake.
“But, because I get pregnant easily, I was afraid
and had to listen to the matron who is a retired nurse. The matron counselled
me and then introduced me to the Intra Uterine Contraceptive Device (IUCD),
assuring me that it would last longer,” she adds.
IUCD is a long acting reversible contraception
that goes into the uterus.
Toyin, a business woman further admits, “Though I
was having some side effects from it initially, I am happy for it because my
body has adjusted to it. Thanks to the matron as I now enjoy sex with my
husband without fear of getting pregnant.”
‘Fear of unplanned pregnancy and abortion had
reduced’
Another user, Oresanya Mary, says, “Fear of
unplanned pregnancy and abortion had reduced since I began to use family
planning.
Obviously excited, she confesses, “Although, my
husband was not in support of me doing family planning, right now I am closer
to my husband than I use to be, that is, I do not deny him of his marital right
which is sex.”
Researchers have largely debunked the suppositions
concerning family planning. Studies have shown that infants born to women who
conceived less than six months after giving birth had a 40 per cent increased
risk of being born prematurely and a 61 per cent increased risk of low birth
weight as compared with infants born to mothers who gave birth after 18 months
or two years between pregnancies.
The visibly elated, Toyin as fondly called by
relatives reveals, “You can see I have six children already which is even too
much. When I had my sixth child, one matron came to me and told me to use
family planning otherwise I would soon give birth to the seventh one. I said,
God forbid, the sixth one was even a mistake.
“But, because I get pregnant easily, I was afraid
and had to listen to the matron who is a retired nurse. The matron counselled
me and then introduced me to the Intra Uterine Contraceptive Device (IUCD),
assuring me that it would last longer,” she adds.
IUCD is a long acting reversible contraception
that goes into the uterus.
Toyin, a business woman further admits, “Though I
was having some side effects from it initially, I am happy for it because my
body has adjusted to it. Thanks to the matron as I now enjoy sex with my
husband without fear of getting pregnant.”
‘I am
now closer to my husband’
Another user, Oresanya Mary, says, “Fear of
unplanned pregnancy and abortion had reduced since I began to use family
planning.
Obviously excited, she confesses, “Although, my
husband was not in support of me doing family planning, right now I am closer
to my husband than I use to be, that is, I do not deny him of his marital right
which is sex.”
Researchers have largely debunked the suppositions
concerning family planning. Studies have shown that infants born to women who conceived
less than six months after giving birth had a 40 per cent increased risk of
being born prematurely and a 61 per cent increased risk of low birth weight as
compared with infants born to mothers who gave birth after 18 months or two
years between pregnancies.
‘Enlightenment helped me’
Another mother of three, Mrs. Usman Aishat,
confirms this, “Before family planning, I do check time and calculate days for
my husband to meet with me just because of the fear of unwanted pregnancy. But,
since I started using family planning, I do not check, I just give it to my
husband the way he wants because I know nothing will happen.”
Recently, Dr. Jide Idris, the Commissioner for
Health, Lagos state, expressed big concern over misconceptions about family
planning, insisting it has remained a major barrier to the uptake of FP
services in the state.
