Action Health Incorporated seeks more education for women’s access to contraceptive commodities

A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Action Health Incorporated (AHI), has called for continuous sensitisation of women on contraceptive commodities and accessibility toward increasing acceptance of its use in Nigeria.

The Project Coordinator of AHI, Ms Funsho Bukoye, made the call recently in Lagos during an interactive session with our reporter.

Contraception is the artificial means of preventing reproduction in human beings, even when there is sexual intercourse.

The World Contraception Day takes place on every Sept. 26 with the mission to improve awareness of all contraceptive methods available.

It is also to enable young people to make informed choices on their sexual and reproductive health.

The annual worldwide campaign centres around a vision where every pregnancy is wanted.

Theme of the 2019 celebration is: “It’s Your Life, It’s Your Responsibility.”

Bukoye said that there were still issues surrounding the use and acceptance of contraceptives among young people.

“Some of these reasons range from the poor and inadequate knowledge on contraceptives, the terminology (Family Planning- many youths will say, they are not yet married, what family are they planning).

“There is also the issue of provider’s bias, attitude, mindset in providing contraception services to young people as well as myths on contraceptive usage,” she said.

Bukoye said that in recent times, there have been ongoing advocacy as well as awareness creation activities among young people, saying that AHI educate young people on Life Planning.

“AHI promotes young people’s health and development to ensure their successful transition to healthy and productive adulthood.

“We promote and protect young people’s sexual and reproductive health, especially increasing their ability to prevent early pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS.

“We assist youths to make informed choices about their sexuality free of discrimination, coercion, and violence; as well as developing competencies to thrive now and in adulthood,” she said.

According to her, AHI operates a youth- friendly health centre in Lagos that offers information and services to young people on contraception.

She added that AHI, since 2016 worked in Cross River, Abia and Akwa Ibom to increase access of young girls of reproductive age to Family Planning.

“We believe that contraceptive should be appropriate, safe and effective and within a space of two years, over 10,000 young women were reached with different forms of contraception.

“One major strategy was the engagement of young women as community health volunteers who worked within the community and served as champions or peer educators to reach their peers with information.

“They provide referrals to health facilities and increase the uptake of the injectable among the younger age group,” she said.

Bukoye also stressed the need to upskill medical personnel with adequate and effective trainings that would assist them to counsel youths in an impactful way.

Also, Mr Clement Olaifa, Chairman, Association of General Private Nursing Practitioners, Lagos State Chapter, said that there was awareness about family planning among women of reproductive age.

Olaifa said that the acceptability was still not encouraging.

He said many women avoid contraception due to fear, adding that some were beginning to embrace the long acting reversible contraceptive methods including: injectables, Intra Uterine Contraceptives Device (IUDs) and implants.

Olaifa said that records available to them at the hospitals show that the use of emergency contraceptives like condoms and pills was reducing.