Coronavirus: Lockdown forces women to embrace family planning in Niger

Some childbearing age women in Niger are now accessing family planning following the lockdown imposed by the State Government to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mrs. Hassana Amos, the Assistant Officer in Charge of the Family Unit at the Family Support Programme (FSP), a Primary Health Care facility in the Limawa area of Minna, disclosed on Tuesday.

Amos spoke at a one-day Challenge Initiative (TCI) media field trip on family planning to the FSP facility.

She said more women were coming to the facility to access two months injectable method of family planning to avoid getting pregnant during the period of the lockdown.

“We are attending to more women during this lockdown, especially on off-day (alternate days when people are allowed to go out of the house) within the week."

“Many of them preferred the injection type for two months. “They preferred the injection because they feel it will still enable them to get pregnant immediately when they are ready without delay,’’ she said.

According to her, blood pressure examination and pregnancy tests were also conducted on the women to ensure they were fit to access the family planning. Amos added that the facility rendered family planning services such as injectable pills, implants, and IUCDs.

She said men also come for family planning and were given male condoms. Hajiya Amina Mohammed, one of the women who came for the programme, said she came to access the two months family planning method to avoid getting pregnant during the lockdown period.

“My husband is a civil servant and now that he is not going to work because of the lockdown, we are always together at home.

“So, our level of intimacy has increased. “I am not ready to get pregnant now; that is why I want to do family planning for the period of lockdown,’’ she said.

She said that her husband supported her decision to do the family planning as they were both not ready for another pregnancy now.