Economic pressure forces child spacing
Economic pressures are forcing many Nigerians to consider planning their families better to ease financial stress and save the lives of women, according to the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative, NURHI. “The economic situation forces some people to take a second look at family planning as an approach to saving women’s lives and as an […]
Economic pressures are forcing many Nigerians to consider planning their families better to ease financial stress and save the lives of women, according to the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative, NURHI.
“The economic situation forces some people to take a second look at family planning as an approach to saving women’s lives and as an approach to also help government in doing its job,” said Khadijah Nuhu, advocacy and behaviour change communication and demand generation officer at NURHI’s FCT zone.
Speaking at an open-day for family planning organised at Garki Hospital, Nuhu said career drives was also forcing many younger men and women to consider family planning differently.
“They look at delaying having children immediately after marriage. Some of them look at having a couple of children then having some space and later returning to fertility and having some more children.”
Having fewer children or more adequate time between births helps bring down maternal mortality and ensure healthier pregnancies, experts suggest.
But knowledge about family planning—and the various methods it entails—is still inadequate, as is knowledge about where the services can be accessed free.
“We’re all at different levels but every Nigerian woman needs to know more and find out as much as she can about family planning,” said Nuhu.
“Nigerian men need to talk more about family planning because women still rely on their husbands to support then in making a decision.
“The best method for any woman is the one that is right for her.”
One participant at the open day, Roselyn Toluhin, has not experience with family planning, but said later, “I have learnt the essence of child spacing and the different methods of family planning. I intend to go for it.”
One year after her last baby, Temitope dropped a family planning appointment over concerns she might lose her shape.
“I was scared because there are so many people that have done it before and in one way or the other, their shapes and statures changed like they are getting fatter,” she said.
“But I have learnt the different ways and I think the Intrauterine device is okay. I will seek more advice before I go for it.”