title: Contraceptive choices and practices among urban women in southeastern Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Determining the contraceptive choices among the women is the first step in scaling up family planning methods.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the contraceptive choices and practices as well as the underlining factors among market women in Nnewi, southeastern Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross sectional descriptive study of market women, that assessed their contraceptive choices and practices.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Knowledge about family planning was 96.5%. One hundred and seventy five (44.0%) of the interviewed women were currently using a family planning method while 59.0% had ever used a method. The common methods in use were the natural method (24.1%), withdrawal method (7.5%) and the IUCDs (6.1%). The commonest ever used method was the natural method (26.7%) followed by withdrawal method (10.6%) and condom (7.8%). Fear of family planning commodities interfering with future fertility was the commonest reason for non use of family planning services (14.6), followed by the fear of the side effects (10.6%). Seventy one (17.8%) of the non-users had no reason. The use of family planning services was significantly high among the women aged 35 and above (x2 = 9.98; P = 0.04) and the (x2 = 23.8; P = 0.00). Focus group discussions indicated that husband's refusal, fear of side effects, cancer and delayed fertility were the main barriers to the use of family planning methods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The contraceptive prevalence rate among Nnewi market women is high and cuts across all religions and social classes. However, the methods in common use are associated with high failure rates. The use of the more reliable methods should be encouraged.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Nigeria. ugbajaj@yahoo.com
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Ugboaja
authors.forename: B O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Nwosu
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Ifeadike
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Nnebue
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Obi-Nwosu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003267:Contraception; D003268:Contraception Behavior; D003273:Contraceptive Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data