reproductive health among religious leaders

Introduction: Developing countries are characterised by high birth rates and explosive population growth. With a lower contraceptive usage rate among eligible couples and resistance towards family planning methods, the goal of population stabilisation looks distant. The present study was conceived to assess knowledge, attitude and practices regarding contraceptive usage and to identify the barriers in reproductive-age couples in an urban slum area. Methods: The present study was cross-sectional in nature and was conducted in an urban slum...

BACKGROUND: Safer sex negotiation refers to the means through which partners in sexual relationships agree to have intercourse that protects both partners from adverse sexual health outcomes. Evidence is sparse on the socio-cultural barriers to safer sex negotiation, especially in Northwest Nigeria where almost every aspect of women's lives is influenced by religious and cultural norms. Understanding the socio-cultural barriers requires having knowledge of the perspectives of community stakeholders such as religious leaders, and community leaders...

OBJECTIVES: Regardless of the local and international initiatives, excluding exempting services, demand satisfied for contraceptives remains low in Ethiopia. This circumstance is supposed to be attributed to different level factors; however, most were not well addressed in the previous studies. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the magnitude and individual, household and community-level factors associated with demand satisfied for modern contraceptive (DSFMC) methods among married/in-union women of reproductive age...

Background: Despite efforts to improve access to family planning, contraceptive prevalence remains relatively low among adolescents and youth in Guinea. The objective of this study was to understand the barriers to the use of modern contraceptive methods among urban adolescents and youth (15-24 years) in Conakry, Guinea. Methods: This was a qualitative study using an exploratory design. It was conducted in the capital city of Guinea, Conakry in 2019. Respondents included adolescents and youth aged 15-24 years, health care providers, and parents of adolescents and youth...

Introduction: The use of contraceptive methods is very low in Guinea, particularly among adolescents and young people. The purpose of this study is to analyze the experiences and expectations of adolescents and young people regarding the use of contraceptive methods in 2019 in Conakry, Guinea. Methods: We conducted a 6-month qualitative and descriptive study. Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with adolescents and young people, health providers and health policy makers...

Introduction: in Burkina Faso, despite the strategies implemented to increase the use of contraceptives, the prevalence rate of modern contraceptives remains low. Religion is an important part of the socio-cultural fabric of many communities. Besides, religious leaders play an essential role in adopting and using contraceptive methods to support family health. The study objective was to explore the knowledge, beliefs and perceptions of religious leaders about modern contraceptives among women of childbearing age...

Female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) is a global phenomenon mostly practiced in Africa, Asia, and the middle east. It involves the removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. The practice cuts across different ethnic and religious groups in Africa and is associated with several health complications. The following study assessed attitude towards the practice among Ethiopian women aged 15-49. Using the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey from 2016 as a data source, we analyzed a sample of 6984 women...

Background: Globally in 2017, Burundi was the 9th country with the highest population growth rate of 3.2% and a fertility rate of 5.5 children per woman. This probably suggested low uptake of Modern Contraceptive methods (MCM) in the country. Our analysis investigated factors associated with low uptake of MCM among women of reproductive age in Burundi. Methods: Cross sectional data of non-pregnant women aged 15-49 years was extracted from the Burundi Demographic and Health Survey (2016-2017)...

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in reproductive aged women in Liberia. Lack of awareness and screening capacity are both major contributors to the prevalence of this disease. The minority Muslim population in this country is largely unscreened. The objective of the study was to assess cervical cancer risk factors and screening preferences among Muslim women living in Monrovia, Liberia and to offer self-screening with HPV testing. A multiple step implementation strategy was devised in order to outreach to the Muslim population with the engagement of community and religious leaders, about an upcoming screening program and informational session at a local clinic...

Understanding the mechanisms through which social norms shape contraceptive use can help prevent unintended pregnancies in low-income countries. The Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) aimed to increase contraceptive uptake through advocacy, service delivery, and demand generation. Using data from focus group discussions, we examined whether social norms around family planning (FP), and specifically use of modern contraception (MC), varied among women and girls of reproductive age exposed to varying levels of the programme in three Nigerian cities...

INTRODUCTION: Due to the limited access to sexual and reproductive health service, out-of-school-adolescents become at a higher risk for early marriage, early pregnancy early parenthood, and poor health outcomes over their life course. Hence, the aim of this study was to explore the challenges faced by female out-of-school adolescents in accessing sexual and reproductive health service in Bench-Sheko zone. METHODS: A community-based qualitative exploratory study was carried out from November 01/2020 to December 01/2020 among selected out-of-school adolescents residing in rural and urban districts of Bench-Sheko Zone, and healthcare professionals working in the local health centers...

BACKGROUND: With a fertility rate of 5.4 children per woman, Burundi ranked as seventh country with the highest fertility rate in the world. Family planning is an effective way of achieving desirable family size, appropriate birth spacing and significant reduction in unintended pregnancies. Furthermore, family planning has been linked to improvements in maternal health outcomes. Yet, in spite of the overwhelming evidence on the benefits of family planning and despite high knowledge and free services, utilisation is low especially in rural communities with conservative people...

BACKGROUND: Family planning services deliver a wide range of benefits to the well-being of females and the community. It can curtail the risk of maternal and neonatal mortality through the reduction in abortions and pregnancies. The government of Pakistan has been struggling to convince people about the usefulness of family planning programs. However, different factors related to social norms, values, and culture are important to determine the success of these programs. One such factor is the patriarchal structure of Pakistani society where most of the household decisions are made by men...

Objective: To determine the prevalence of the use of contraceptives among female Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and its associated factors. Methods: We conducted our cross-sectional survey at the Kutupalong refugee facility located in Cox's Bazar in November 2019. We used univariable and multivariable logistic regression models to determine the association between the use of contraceptives and our various predictor variables, including women's age, age at first marriage, education level and employment status...

INTRODUCTION: In Côte d’Ivoire, national modern contraceptive prevalence remains low, at 21% in 2017.Purpose of research: The objective of this study was to identify socio-cultural obstacles related to the use of modern contraception among women of reproductive age. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive and qualitative study in Dallas, in the Adjamé commune, located in the center of Abidjan. The survey took place from 9th June to 7th July 2018...

BACKGROUND: Maternal and child health are key priorities among the Sustainable Development Goals, which include a particular focus on reducing morbidity and mortality among women of reproductive age, newborns, and children under the age of five. Two components of maternal and child health are family planning (FP) and immunisation. Providing these services through an integrated delivery system could increase the uptake of vaccines and modern contraceptive methods (MCMs) particularly during the post-partum period...

The use of various forms of contraception in Ghana gained prominence after the government resorted to investing more in family planning programs when maternal mortality was declared an emergency in the country. In Ghana, the intention to use and actual usage of contraceptives is influenced by many factors, which may lead to non-usage or discontinuation. This quantitative study was conducted to determine risk and protective factors impacting on the intention and usage of contraceptives. Survey data from the Ghana 2014 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) ( n = 9396) was used...

Unmet need for family planning (FP) remains prevalent worldwide. In Tanzania, 21.7% of women desire to delay pregnancy, but do not use modern contraception despite its free availability at local clinics. Our prior data suggest that this is related to complex gender and religious dynamics in rural communities. To understand how education about FP could be improved, we developed a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to rank preferences of six attributes of FP education. Results were stratified by gender. Sixty-eight women and 76 men completed interview-assisted DCEs...

BACKGROUND: Over the years, family planning uptake in Nigeria has remained low and this is as a result of the various challenges and barriers faced by women. The aim of this study was to systematically review studies on family planning services undertaken in Nigeria in order to understand the challenges to uptake of the services and the policy implications. METHODS: A PubMed search was performed in June 2020 and studies that investigated challenges of family planning uptake in Nigeria published in English between 2006 and 2020 were sought...

BACKGROUND: Women have unfair share in the burden of unintended pregnancy outcome and unhealthy interpregnancy intervals. An understanding of the triggers, ideation and motivational factors influencing utilization of modern contraceptives is relevant for efforts aimed at increasing utilization among the general public, specifically sexually active women. The objective of this study is to explore the triggers, ideation and motivational factors influencing the use of modern family planning methods including depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate subcutaneous (DMPA-SC)...