To mark this year’s world contraceptive day, the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHU), a Non-governmental organization advised the Nigerian government in a press statement to increase access to contraceptives for its young population as part of efforts to prevent teenage pregnancy rampant amongst school females in the country.
The NURHI’s advocacy Advisor Charity Ibeawuchi said that young persons who form the majorly among the women of reproductive age should be urged to space pregnancies and childbirths. Statistics have shown that adolescents and youths faced with gross challenges of sexual and reproductive ill health are on the increase.
Lamenting on the woes beginning to befall, Mrs. Charity said that girls in particular arising from under-age child bearing unwanted pregnancies, sexual exploitation and abuse which contributes to the high maternal morbidity and mortality.
There is a strong indication that only few Nigerian women are using modern family planning methods for spacing or limiting pregnancies with low contraceptive prevalence rate of 5.5% (percent). She also stressed on the need for access to contraceptives which should go along with appropriate information policies and commitments, this would help to make important decisions.
According to 2013 demographic and health survey, about 23% (percent) of teenage girls between 15 and 19 are already mother or pregnant while of the women age 25 – 49 were already married between 18 and 61 percent were married by age 20.
