Male involvement and factors influencing choice of contraception among market traders in an urban city in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed the determinants of contraceptive choice and use as well as to examine the perceived impact of male involvement in contraception among market traders. A mixed method cross-sectional study conducted among 489 traders in four Local Government areas in Ibadan, Nigeria, using a structured questionnaire developed by the researchers and in-depth interviews with multi-staged sampling technique. The mean age of participants was 36.1 +8.4 years, with mean parity of 3.8± 1.5. Female traders represented 49.3% (241) while 50.7% (248) were males. Most, two hundred and twenty participants (45.0%) were from Bodija market. Majority (84.1%) were married and consisted mostly of Yoruba (92.4%) ethnic group. Awareness of contraception was high (89.9%) and the most common source was the health facility (366; 74.9%), however, only 41.1% were using modern contraception. Ease of use was the primary determining factor (48.2%) while partner's refusal (28.1%) was the major reason against use of contraception. Among the female participants, 119 (49.4%) stated that their partner had stopped them from using contraceptives in the past and 124(51.1%) reported positive male involvement and support for contraceptive use. There was high level of awareness of contraception, yet uptake and utilization are low. Also, men play a significant role in determining choice so there is need for health education on family planning targeted towards men.