AWARENESS OF FAMILY PLANNING AMONGST ANTENATAL PATIENTS IN A NIGERIAN COMMUNITY: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

AIM: This study aimed at determining the awareness about family planning amongst pregnant women presenting to the antenatal clinic of Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria. METHODOLOGY: The study was conducted between December, 2007 and February, 2008 at the antenatal clinic of the hospital. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of the hospital prior to commencement of the study. The information was obtained from the respondents with the aid of a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire which included their bio-data, awareness and the sources of awareness about family planning .Other information obtained were reasons for family planning as well as knowledge about the different methods of family planning. The information obtained with the study instrument (questionnaire) was collated and analyzed with SPSS statistical software version 12.0.1. RESULTS: Most respondents (89%) were aware of family planning. The majority of the respondents:42 (47.2%) received information about family planning from health workers while 21(23.6%) received the information through the media. Most of the respondents (74%) knew about condom. The level of education significantly affected the awareness about family planning with a p value of 0.017. CONCLUSION: Most respondents were aware of family planning. The media should play a more prominent role in creating awareness amongst the populace about family panning.