Musa Na Allah, Sokoto
According to experts, Family Planning is a method or system of birth control aimed at reducing rates of unintended pregnancies and helping reduce HIV transmission from mother to newborns.
In Sokoto state hardship and increased awareness of the benefits of childbirth spacing have increased the demand for commodities and services among married couples.
Our Correspondent recently visited the Primary Healthcare Centers (PHC) in Tambuwal, Jabo, Durbawa, and Kware local government areas and observed that the rate at which husbands direct their wives to seek such services at the health centers has increased drastically, which could be a result of the harsh economic condition in the country.
In some cases, parents in the state gave ample advice to new couples to approach health facilities for counseling on child spacing methods to prevent early and unplanned pregnancies.
Speaking to our Correspondent in Tambuwal on Thursday, a family planning service provider at PHC, Miss Amratu Ibrahim, said there has been an upsurge in the demand for family planning methods compared to last year’s and early this year.
“We have lots of clients this year compared to previous years, housewives and newly wedded couples are encouraging their spouses to seek implants that will prevent them from conceiving early.
“We received an average of 30 clients daily and in October we recorded 203 in our register for women seeking implants and periodic injections.”
Miss Ibrahim attributed the upsurge in family planning clients in the facility to the economic situation in the country, and increased awareness and support from husbands, adding that unlike before, women are now coming willingly and sometimes with their husbands for counseling on the best method to adopt.
She said, “People are now coming out to take up family planning and I think the major reason is the current economic situation which to me is not friendly to society and people are becoming wiser by the day on benefits attached to the system.
“The rate at which people are turning up is unexpected. They throng our facility daily including married men seeking condoms which shows the level of awareness amongst couples. Husbands and Wives now come together to seek their desired method.”
“This year, we have over 500 new clients, aside from those who have already adopted other methods in the past. The rate is very high in comparison with the same period last year.
Another worker at the health center, Asabe Zaki dispelled the misconceptions about family planning amongst couples, saying that the method is hundred percent favourable to husbands and wives while urging those who are yet to engage in the method to do so as it will certainly benefit them in the future.
She said, “We are yet to receive a report of a situation whereby a client engaged in any of the methods and later became pregnant during the period, as in the olden days.
“We undertake precautionary measures before we adopt a client on any of the family planning methods, we conduct a test to ensure that, the client is not pregnant and later ask her to choose or decide on the best method she wants to adopt.
“The state government is trying in terms of ensuring our people live a healthy life. Most of the consumables we need to enhance our work and make easier are been provided by the state Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA).
“I call on couples wishing to engage in any of the methods to come forward, It is free of charge.”
At Jabo PHC, a client, Aisha Balarabe Kajiji, a mother of 5 testified that she adopted a family planning method in 2020 four years ago and since then she had never conceived less of having a child added to her previous five.
“I decided to adopt the implant method with advice and full consent of my husband after we gave birth to our second child a baby Girl and I have not heard or witnessed any discomfort as a result of the implant up to today”.
“The method gave us ample opportunities to plan for the future of our children and our health condition as mothers”.
“Since adoption of the method it made life very much easier for me and my husband as the gap created between our children gave them strength and improved their quality of life and for me as a breastfeeding mother to recover to be able to concentrate more on my domestic activities.
“I urge my colleagues Women in matrimonial homes to seek any of the family planning methods available for their benefit and the benefit of the entire family. “The first one I did was four years ago before I decided to have another child.
“After eight years, I decided to have my fourth child, I became pregnant and successfully delivered a baby Boy here in our facility, I now told my husband that I am done, I want to rest,” she stated.
Another client, Rakiya Balarabe said, her adoption of the family planning method in February this year after giving birth to her second child was the result of words of encouragement from her husband.
“Since I took up the implant method, things have been going easy for me without any discomfort, ” I am now taking good care of my 2 children and my husband.
“Before I adopted the implant method, I had 3 children and my husband was always not at ease and contemplating whenever we wanted to have intercourse, thinking that I would conceive and have another child aside from the 3 we already have that are still not strong enough according to him.
