There are still unfounded fears about the desirability of family planning services by individuals despite the growing economic and social benefits to families and communities, a health care provider has observed.
While access to voluntary family planning and reproductive health services support the health and well-being of individuals, it also has positive economic benefits to families and communities, according to experts.
Esther Edet Ekette, a trained nurse and midwife who stated this in an interview said despite the benefits, many couples, individuals including men and women are in still in doubt about the benefits saying apart from helping in child spacing, it helps in preventing unintended pregnancies.
Ekette who listed the various methods of family planning services available including the barrier method, the natural as well as the modern methods involving pills as well as ‘injectibles’ among others said information on family planning should not be left only for the women but also for couples and adolescents as well.
“It is the responsibility of couples to be involved in family planning, but it is important for women to have a good knowledge of the services available,’’ she said.
She said while some women reject some of the methods including the Intrauterine Contraceptive Device, (IUD), a contraceptive device fitted inside the uterus and physically preventing implantation of the fertilized ovary, saying it is wrong to a ‘foreign body’ to be found in someone’s women, she explained that there was nothing religious about it.
Ekette called on the state governments to provide family planning services available to the people in health centres and hospitals, she urged the federal government to revisit the policy of limiting the number of children per couple to four in view of the country’s growing population adding that more awareness should be created on the benefits of family planning.
ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo
