Traditional Fertility Regulation Methods Among the Yoruba of Southwestern Nigeria II. A Prospective Study of Use-Effectiveness

Musa K. Jinadu, Bade Ajuwon

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of traditional contraceptives commonly used by Yoruba women, and the attitudes of users and non-users towards family planning services and contraceptives in Nigeria. One hundred forty-two married women aged 19 to 40 years were followed for 18 months. Seventy-two of the women were identified as current users of four types of traditional contraceptives (ring, incision, soup, and waistband types), and 70 women did not use any type of contraceptive. The users and non-users were matched on socio-demographic char e acteristics. Attitudes of the users and non-users towards fertility regulation were investigated using focus group discussions. The study found that 5.6 percent of the users and 34.5 percent of the non-users became pregnant during the follow-up period. Contraceptive failure was experienced by users of the waistband and ring methods. The main barriers to the use of modern contraceptives as described by women were the negative attitudes of men and the fear of side effects. (Afr I Reprod Health 1997; 1(1) :65—73)

KEY WORDS: Traditional contraceptive devices, use-effectiveness, Yoruba, Nigeria, Africa

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References

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