An increasing number of clients have recently embraced family planning methods in various communities of Kwara State.
During a field trip to the Okelele Primary Health Care Centre in Ibagun Ward on Thursday, members of the Family Planning Media Advocacy Group in the state spoke with Hajia Maryam Balogun, the family planning supervisor for Ilorin East Local Government Area, who confirmed this development.
She mentioned that an average of 300 clients, predominantly women of different ages, visit the facility monthly for various family planning services, with about 20 to 30 clients attending the FP clinic monthly.
Hajia Balogun also noted that parents are encouraging their female children to adopt family planning methods, and male children have visited the facility to request condoms.
Furthermore, she stated that some parents bring their female children aged 17 to 20 for family planning services to prevent unwanted pregnancies and for other reasons.
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Hajia Balogun attributed the increase in clients to the efforts of organizations like The Challenge Initiative (TCI) and Development Communication Network (Devcoms) in promoting the program.
She also mentioned that the acceptance rate had risen significantly at the grassroots level.
However, she acknowledged that misconceptions about the FP program still exist among some clients.
She added that service providers continue to conduct sensitization and awareness programs to address these misconceptions, which include concerns about infertility, irregular menstruation, weight loss or gain, and bleeding. Medical attention and advice are provided to address these concerns.
During the field trip, members of the media advocacy group also met Maryam Ajike Isiaka, an FP Social Mobilizer at the Okelele Primary Health Care Centre.
This coincidental meeting allowed the group to assess the community’s acceptance of FP activities.
Mrs. Isiaka mentioned that many people have been encouraged to accept and use FP methods, and those who have embraced FP have shared positive testimonies about the program’s benefits in their family lives.