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A Profile of Family Planning Clients at the Family Health Clinic, Lagos, Nigeria

1976; Wiley; Volume: 7; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/1964803

1728-4465

Muriel A. Oyediran, E. O. Ewumi,

Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health

1972 data on clients at the Family Health Clinic of the Department of Community Health College of Medicine University of Lagos Nigeria were analyzed in an effort to determine the characteristics of women seeking family planning services. The data were then compared with 1969-1971 data from the Family Health Clinic and when possible with 1958-1968 data from all Lagos clinics to see what changes if any had occurred in the type of women attending family planning clinics. The Family Planning Health Clinic was established in January 1968 and provides services for women wishing to control their fertility as well as for infertile women. The clinic serves the areas of Surulere Mushing and Shomolu which are mainly populated by low-income groups. An analysis of the data collected from the Family Health Clinic in 1972 shows that 89% of the women who attended the clinic during the year were aged 20-39 and 63% had between 3 and 5 children. Regarding occupation 49% were traders and over 70% of the clients had little or no education. 38% of the clients were Muslims and 36% were Prrotestants. The main ethnic group represented was the Yoruba 78%. A comparison of the 1972 data with those obtained by Morgan in his 1972 surrvey on women attending all family planning clinics in Lagos from 1958 to 1968 shows that there has been little change in the type of client in terms of socioeconomic status. However in 1972 the percentage of younger women accepting family planning increased and 66% of the women attending the clinic in 1972 had 4 or fewer children compared with 54% of clients in the 1958-1968 period. 68% of the Family Health Clinic clients had depended on abstinence as their family planning method prior to attending the clinic. In 1972 48% of the Family Health Clinic clients requested oral contraceptives 39% the IUD and 11% depo-provera. Although the 1972 data used in this analysis are from only 1 of the family planning clinics in Lagos they are similar in many respects to those collected from all Lagos clinics. In view of this the increase of younger women seeking family planning services may be regarded as a general trend throughout Lagos clinics.