Contraceptive awareness and use among sexually active breast feeding mothers in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the level of awareness and correlates of use of family planning services among sexually active breastfeeding mothers attending an infant welfare clinic.


METHODS
Cross-sectional descriptive design.


METHODS
Infant welfare clinic of the urban comprehensive health centre, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.


METHODS
Mothers of breast feeding infants aged 8-11 months attending the infant welfare clinic.


RESULTS
Awareness of family planning was quite high (95.5%) while current family planning use was quite low (13%). Although the proportion of women who planned for future use of family planning in the sample was high (64%), all current non-users (86.6%) met the criteria for unmet need for family planning. Parity and the number of living children were the only socio-demographic correlates of the respondents that significantly influenced family planning acceptance (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
There is a high level of contraceptive awareness but low contraceptive use among breast feeding mothers in Nigeria, with a majority of non-users depending on the perceived contraceptive effects of breastfeeding.
Ijadunola
K T
KT
Department of Community Health, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Orji
E O
EO
Ajibade
F O
FO
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology*; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009549:Nigeria; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*