The unmet need for contraception among Nigerian women in the first year post-partum

To determine the level of Unmet need for Contraception among women in the first year post-delivery in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

A prospective study of 256 women attending antenatal clinic of the OAUTHC, Ile-Ife, Nigeria was carried out 9-10 months post-delivery. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, the respondents were interviewed for socio-demographic characteristics; obstetric, sexual, and contraception history were also taken. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods.

There was a high level of unmet need (59.4%) in the sample of Nigerian women despite a high level of awareness of common methods of contraception. Education and parity had no significant effect on usage of contraception (p > 0.05). No reason was given for non-usage in the largest proportion (30.3%) of the non-users. Only one-third of the respondents could correctly report the 'at-risk' period for getting pregnant in the post-partum period.

There is a need to study in more detail the social and cultural factors that determine contraceptive utilization before success can be achieved in closing the gap of unmet need, as it has become evident that increasing the awareness and knowledge of contraception is not enough to achieve the objectives of family-planning programs.