Health experts have urged government and media stakeholders in Kwara state to step up efforts to improve the percentage of women of reproductive age who are practising any form of contraception as a form of family planning.
The experts described the rate of population of women in this age bracket of 15 to 49 years of age as contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR).
Speaking at the opening of a three-day training programme organized by The Challenge Initiative (TCI) and Devcoms for media personnel, social media influencers and MDA officials on media advocacy for family planning in Ilorin on Wednesday, coordinator, reproductive health in the Ministry of Health, Dr Ibrahim Kafayat Kofo said that 27 per cent is the achievable target by 2030 as against the current rate of 17.1 per cent CPR in the state.
The health experts, who said that myth and misconception had discouraged women from accepting or accessing family planning services in many communities, added that it had also prevented the state from getting to an achievable level.
They, thus, said that the stakeholders needed to reduce the negative effects of myths and misconceptions among the women.
Some of the myths and misconceptions associated with the use of contraception among women were identified as alleged infidelity and promiscuity, permanent infertility, infertility due to the use of condoms by men as well as reduction in libido in men who mate with women using contraception.
Also speaking, the media engagement trainer of the Devcoms, Mayowa Adeniran, said that media personnel have a pivotal role to play in encouraging women to access family planning services and playing down the myths and misconceptions.
He also advised women of reproductive age to use government health facilities for family planning services as against the use of quacks to avoid negative consequences.
Adeniran stressed the need for family planning, saying that the fertility rate in the country has increased the number of dependent populations.