Contraception awareness and practice among antenatal attendees in Uyo, Nigeria

INTRODUCTION: Contraception is major component of reproductive health. The study aims to document the awareness of contraception and its use in Uyo, South-south Nigeria and provide useful information for future intervention strategies. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using pretested questionnaires among antenatal attendees in a tertiary and a secondary health facility in Uyo. RESULTS: A total of 550 women took part in the study. Majority of respondents (92.4%) were aware of contraception while 52.6% had ever used any form of contraception. The condom (60.3%) and the pill (49.9%) were the most common forms of contraception that the women had heard of, mostly from the doctor (36.9%), radio (33.8%) and nurse (28.5%). The condom (46.7%), withdrawal method (14.1%) and the pills (13.3%) were the most commonly used forms of contraception. Majority of the women (70.5%) planned to use contraception in the future and this intention was significantly related to the woman's educational status (p<0.05) but not to religion or occupation. Fear of side effects, uncertainty about its need, partner objection and previous side effects were the common reasons given for unwillingness to use contraception in the future. CONCLUSION: Our study has shown that while there is good contraceptive awareness in Uyo, Nigeria, this is not matched by commensurate contraceptive prevalence but prospects for improvement exist. There's need to tackle known obstacles to contraceptive uptake. Also targeted campaigns and every available opportunity should be used to provide reproductive counseling to women especially on contraception.