Contraceptive Use in Two Semi-Urban Primary Health Care Centres in Ogun State Southwest Nigeria: Determinants and barriers

Abstract

Background: Contraceptive uptake is low in Nigerian women and this is associated with a high incidence of unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions with their attendant complications. This study was designed to elucidate the pattern, determinants, and barriers of contraceptive use in two primary health care centres in Ogun State south-west Nigeria.

Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The convenience sampling technique was used to recruit 250 women who presented for contraceptive services in two primary health care centres. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain contraceptive information. Data were analysed using IBM-SPSS version 23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). The level of significance was set at a p-value less than 0.05.

Results: Out of 250 study participants, 234(93.6%) were aware of contraceptives but only 142 (56.8%) had used any method. The male condom was the most commonly used contraceptive method (61; 24.4%). Fear of side effects (128; 51.2%) was the most frequently reported barrier to contraceptive use. Women who attained secondary and tertiary levels of education had a higher likelihood of using contraceptives than those who attained primary level (aOR 7.4, CI 2.0-27.1, P=0.003) and (aOR 10.8, CI 2.7-42.3, P=0.001) respectively.

Conclusion: The male condom was the most commonly used contraceptive method while fear of side effects was the most commonly reported barrier to contraceptive use. Despite the high level of awareness, contraceptive uptake is still low in Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Recommendation: Awareness campaigns should be instituted in the media to provide credible information about the benefits of contraceptives and dispel misconceptions regarding their use.