ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Contraception is integral in promoting maternal and child health through fertility control and family planning thus helping couples attain the desired number of children and the spacing and the spacing of their pregnancies. The current low uptake and utilization of modern contraceptives in Nigeria is influenced by low level of awareness and wrong cultural beliefs and perceptions. Hence, public health campaigns are crucial in promoting the knowledge, availability and utilization of modern contraceptives. OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the knowledge, source, and current use as well as identified the factors associated with the utilization and discontinuation of modern contraceptive methods among women of reproductive age in Iguosa Community, Benin City, Edo State.
METHODOLOGY: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was carried out among 420 women of reproductive age in Iguosa, Benin City, Nigeria. The respondents were selected using multi-staged sampling method. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire adapted from previous studies on knowledge, source and current use as well as factors associated with the utilization and discontinuation of modern contraceptive methods. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 25, with the level of significance set at p < 0.05.
RESULT: The mean age of the respondents was 29.2±9.3 years. There were 205 (48.8%) married, 388 (92.3%) Christians, 194 (46.2%) with 1 – 4 children and 278 (66.3%) in skill level 2. Overall, 227 (67.2%) of the respondents had good knowledge of modern contraceptive methods. The most common sources of modern contraceptive methods being patent medicine stores, 268 (79.3%), pharmacy, 234 (69.2%) and government hospital 189 (55.9%). Age (p = 0.001), marital status (p = 0.001), number of children (p < 0.001) and socioeconomic status (p < 0.001) were found to have significant association with the current use of modern contraception. Number of children (O.R = 1.103) was a predictor of the factors affecting need and demand of modern contraceptive methods. CONCLUSION: Most respondents had good knowledge of modern contraceptive methods. Patent medicine store being the most common source and a few of the respondents currently using modern contraceptives. Age, marital status, number of children and socioeconomic status were found to be associated with utilization of modern contraception. Community awareness campaigns using various media channels to break cultural barriers and myths on contraception.
Keywords: Contraception, Utilization, Women of Reproductive Age, Benin City, Nigeria.
