FAMILY PLANNING IN NIGERIA

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It's no new news that Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, i guess that's because an average African man gives birth to 6-15 children. You may be wondering if it still happens in this 21st century, i mean in this hard economy? Well the answer is YES!!!! Go to the rural areas and see for yourself.

During one the family planning outreaches i attended in a rural area in Kaduna State, i met a poor woman with 10 children and i asked her why, why 10 children when she can't take care of them? She said she didn't plan to give birth to that much children, she only wanted 3 kids and she ended up with 10.. Literally, 7 were mistakes.. Sadly, there are thousands of women in her shoes and many more will be in her shoes if precautions are not taken. The problem is not just the number of kids, the problem is lack of care. These children die of starvation because their parents can't afford to feed them and because of this the Nigerian government in collaboration with NGOs are trying so hard to stop this by introducing Family Planning.
This is one of the outreaches organized by the United Nations Population Fund together with the government to teach the people about Child Spacing
Picture taken with my phone

Now, what is family planning?

Family Planning is a way of controlling the number of children in the family and the interval between births. It can also be referred to as CHILD SPACING.
There are several methods of Child Spacing namely:
i) Intra uterine device (IUD); This is a contraception method that goes into a woman's uterus. It is 99% effective and it lasts for 5-10 years. It works by stopping the sperm from reaching the egg.
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ii) Implants: This is made up of 2 small rods which are put inside the under arm skin. It works by releasing a hormone called progestogen which in turn stops the body from releasing egg each month. It works for 3 or 5 years.
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iii) Injectibles: This is also known as depo-provera. It's an injection gotten every 3 months. It works by preventing ovulation, there fore can't happen.
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iv) Pills: This is a medicine that contain 2 hormones, Progestin and Estrogen. It is taken everyday to prevent pregnancy
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v) Condoms: This a barrier method. It stops sperm from entering the vagina and also protects from STIs
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Having known these methods a woman can use any of them to plan her family. All she needs to do is to know her body type, seek a medical advice on the method that will best suit her.

One of the challenges facing Child Spacing in Nigeria is Religion. People especially in the rural areas tend to shy away from it because they feel it promotes immorality. The truth is immorality will always be here with or without Family Planning atleast until judgement day. We should not destroy the future of our children as a result of religious sentiments. I think religious leaders should start a programme where they can teach their followers the importance of Family Planning.
We should be open minded on things that will help the family and Nigeria at large..
Thanks to the Government and all the NGOs that are working tirelessly to help the country.

On this note, i will say thanks to you for reading. I'm looking to your contributions on the comment section.

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