Economic Hardship: More Osun Women Adopt Family Planning

•As Husbands Drive Wives To Take Up Method

•Mothers Take Adolescent Girls To Facilities To Prevent Pregnancies

 

The economic situation in the country has led to an increase in married women adopting family planning in Osun State, Osun Defender gathered.

The medium also gathered that the rate of husband accompanying their wives to hospitals and primary health centers to take up a method had increased drastically.

Also, the medium gathered that mothers now take their adolescent girls to health facilities to take up family planning as a way of preventing unplanned pregnancies.

Confirming the change to Osun Defender on Thursday, a health worker at Atelewo Primary Health Centre, Mrs. Aishat Olopade, said there has been a sharp increase in clients this year compared to previous years.

Mrs Opalola attributed the increase in family planning clients to the economic situation in the country, adding that unlike before, women are now coming willingly to take up a method.

She said, “People are now coming out to take up family planning. The major reason is that the economy is not friendly, and people are now wiser.

“The rate at which people are turning up is unexpected. They throng our hospital en mass daily. The level of awareness is now bigger. Wives now come with their spouses to take up a method.

“For this year alone, we have over 300 new clients, not to mention those who already took up a method. This is very high compared to last year.

“Also, mothers are now bringing their adolescent girls to take up a method. They prefer their children to have family planning rather than having unplanned pregnancies and attempting to terminate them, which can result in loss of lives.”

Another worker at the health center, Mrs. Taiwo Fanimokun, dispelled the misconceptions about family planning, urging those who are yet to take up a method to do so.

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She said, “We’ve not gotten a situation whereby someone will take up a method and get pregnant. That used to occur during the olden days but not now.

“Before we put anyone on family planning, we first conduct a test and make sure the person is not pregnant, after which we will talk to them and decide the best method to adopt.

“The state government is trying in terms of ensuring our people live a healthy life. Most of the things we need to make our work easier are provided by the state government. I just want to urge our people to come forward to take up a method. It is free of charge.”

Giving her testimony, a client, Mrs Omololu Abibat, a mother of three told Osun Defender that she adopted a family planning method 11 years ago, adding that she had two children in between.

“I started family planning after giving birth to my first child. I told my husband then and he accepted. I didn’t feel any discomfort during that period.

“The family planning allowed us to plan our lives. There is a reasonable gap between my children. I also enjoyed myself because it allowed me to recover well and take care of my family.

“I want to urge women out there to go for family planning. It is for our own benefit. The one I did was for five years after which I had that of three years before I decided to have another child.

“After eight years, I decided to have another child, which I did. After giving birth to my second child, I did another family planning for three years before I had my third child and I’ve done another one now,” she explained.

Another client, Mrs Comfort Ezekiel, said, “I adopted a family planning method six months ago after giving birth to my child. Since I took up a method, I haven’t felt any discomfort. Everything is nothing and I’m enjoying my husband and taking care of my family.

“Before I came for family planning, I didn’t allow my husband to have sex with me because of the fear of having another baby when the one I’m carrying is not old enough and this caused a lot of issues between us but since I took up a method, I and my husband are now enjoying ourselves.”