Chioma Umeha
Awareness and proper understanding about family
planning has been recognised to reduce maternal death among young women of
reproductive age between 15 and 49.
Data on Sexual Reproductive Health outcomes in
Nigeria highlights the importance of focusing on adolescents. At 576 maternal
dea
Global evidence shows that young girls bear a
higher burden of maternal mortality and morbidity. Data shows that the average
age at sexual debut is roughly 15 years of age among adolescent mothers in
Nigeria. (NDHS 2003, 2008, 2013).
The National adolescent fertility rate in Nigeria
is 122 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 years. In the North Western States,
it is as high as 171 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 years.
To stem this, the government of Lagos State with
support from partners and other donor agencies has put in place youth friendly
health care centres and trained health care providers to provide youth friendly
services.
But despite the friendly centers, there are gaps
that limits youth access to SRH in Nigeria which is inclusive of poor
knowledge, awareness, lack of confidentiality in service delivery amongst
others.
Most young persons who are sexually active in
Lagos State are not armed with adequate information on the different method of
contraception available for use due to some barriers.
These barriers includes: provider bias, attitude
of the family planning officer, religious sentiments amongst others.
At a 3-day capacity building workshop on
Investigative Journalism organized by Pathfinder International Nigeria, in
Lagos, some Lagos based adolescents who spoke to journalists have expressed
dismay over the attitude of some family planning providers.
Some adolescents who visited Ikotun, Alimosho and
Agege youth friendly Centres complained of poor counseling, knowledge by the
family planning counsellors.
According to 25-year old Halima Abdullazeez and
graduate of Business Admin said the service provider’s first question was on
her age bracket adding that “on learning I have three boy-friends at 25, the
body language changed outside religious concerns and countenance, i was not
given an opportunity of seeing a condom or counselled properly on other options
of contraception, so, i had to leave.
