The Use of Contraceptives Among Ijesa Women of Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

The world’s population has been changing dramatically over the years.  It has indeed undergone such rapid and profound transitions that modern population policies have sought to manage some of these demographic changes, principally, rapid population growth in high fertility countries. The issue of fertility has received much attention due to its central importance in demographic changes. Family planning or use of contraceptives is important in reducing the high fertility rate in most developing countries, including Nigeria. Contraceptive methods are classified as modern or traditional methods. This paper examines the prevalence of the use of contraceptives among ijesa women. The study also examines the type of contraceptive(s) that is widely used among ijesa women. A cross-sectional survey design using both quantitative and qualitative techniques was employed. A multistage sampling technique, which involved purposive selection of four Local Government Areas (LGAs) and a random selection of 17 enumeration areas and 1,594 ever- married women of childbearing age was carried out. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data was contently analysed. The findings of the study revealed that the majority of the respondents have knowledge of different methods of contraceptives, with condom been the most known and used among the methods. It was also discovered that the percentages of those who have ever used a method are considerably lower than those who have ever heard of a method. Further, the current use of contraceptive is low in the study area. Many respondents were not using because of the disapproval of their husband, and because it is against the religious beliefs of some of the non-users. A little above half of the respondents planned to use contraceptive in the future. The study concluded that contraceptive use is low in the study area, and this is likely to lead to high fertility. It suggested the need for more awareness creation to develop positive attitude toward contraceptive use in the study area.

Key words: Contraceptive, Fertility, Prevalence, Population growth, Ijesa women