TheCable

Ololade Abatan, the family planning coordinator in the Osun ministry of health, says more women in the state are adopting birth control methods due to the economic hardship in Nigeria.

Abatan spoke on Friday during a three-day training on media advocacy for family planning in Osogbo, Osun capital.

The training was organised by Development Communication Network, and supported by The Challenge Initiative (TCI), a non-profit organisation (NGO).

She said extensive counselling is no longer necessary as family planning facilities are now observing an increase in the number of women accessing their services.

“Considering the situation of the economy, more women are now flowing into the facilities to take up family planning methods with little effort from the ministry,” NAN quoted Abatan as saying.

“We need little effort to push women to come for family planning now, unlike before that we have to mobilise, encourage, educate and counsel them before they come.

“They are now coming out of their shell to pick up family planning methods. The situation of the economy is already pushing the message of family planning to women in the state.”

The family planning coordinator urged men to support their wives to take birth control services.

She also allayed fears that family planning makes women promiscuous.

“The orientation that men have is that women become promiscuous after taking up family planning,” she said.

“This is not correct and we have been educating our men that the family planning method is not a license for their wives to be promiscuous.

“Rather it is to allow for peace, understanding, and collaboration between husband and wife.

“Family planning is about effective management of the home and we are appealing to our men to support their wives.”