Impediments and Perceptions on the Utilization of Family Planning Services in Bauchi State, Nigeria

Abstract

Health system consists of elements involved in healthcare delivery, including family planning services. At community level, health system comprises a set of local actors, relationship and processes engaged in producing, advocating and supporting health in the communities. As a component of health care delivery, family planning is an important aspect of stabilizing population growth and poverty reduction. This study assesses community perception and barriers influencing utilization of family planning services in Bauchi State, Nigeria. The study design was Focus group discussions (FGDs), qualitative in nature and in-depth interview was conducted across the three senatorial zones of Bauchi state. The study utilized Fifteen (15) Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) using women of reproductive age who had at least one child both users and non-users of modern methods of family planning method. The result shows that respondents acknowledge that barriers exist which affects the utilization of family planning,. The result also shows that some respondents oppose the use of modern methods of family planning which hinders its utilization, remedies to the barriers were offer and we conclude that majority of people in the northern Nigeria specifically Bauchi state are yet to wholeheartedly embrace the initiative because of religious and cultural beliefs and educational level of respondents affects the utilization of family planning services. It is recommended that communities should be sensitize on the benefits of family planning throughout Bauchi state, emphasis should be given on educating the health benefits of family planning to mothers

Knowledge and Utilization of Family Planning Services among Women of Reproductive Age in Ilishan Community Health Center, Ogun State

“…Another set of participants agreed that they were worried about the side effects of the contraceptives of which was similar to findings reported by Egenti et al(2019), Ackerson and Zielinski (2017), Seifu et al (2020), Danladi et al (2020), Kanyange et al (2017). Some of the participants also indicated that their religion did not forbid the use of family planning services which agreed with findings by Sundararajan et al (2019) but contradicted the findings www.abjournals.org of Seifu et al (2020), Danladi et al (2020), Owoyemi et al (2020). A few of the respondents claimed that they do not have any preparation for unwanted pregnancy.…”

“…A few of the respondents claimed that they do not have any preparation for unwanted pregnancy. Some of the respondents also indicated that their partner does not approve of family planning which contradicted the findings of Seifu et al (2020), Danladi et al (2020), Kanyange et al (2017) in which the husband of the women agreed with use of family planning services and also emphasizes the role of family members in use of family planning services. A fraction of the participants disagreed with getting contraceptives as inconvenient, a similar finding to that of Seifu et al (2020), many of the participants also believed that family planning services would spoil the fun during sexual intercourse.…”