Contraceptive Prevalence at the Community Level in South-Western Nigeria

Abstract

This is a community-based study of contraceptive prevalence using a questionnaire instrument and interview. It is hoped to provide information for the appraisal of current interventions/strategies aimed at preventing unsafe abortion and a baseline for the development of future strategies. This study shows a very high level of contraceptive awareness, 91.3%, but a low prevalence rate, 23.4%. The most commonly used contractive was the pill but with a reported high failure rate of 18.3% among the study population suggesting improper usage. The high disparity between awareness and usage highlights the need for further research to determine the possible causes and develop strategies to bridge the gap.

NQJHM Vol. 13 (3-4) 2003: pp. 49-53