Family planning Helps prevent unplanned pregnancies

By Brenda Zulu

Young people use family planning methods to simply prevent pregnancy. For youths the use of family planning helps them to prevent pregnancy.

Blessings Zulu a Program Officer at the Youth Anti AIDS Network (YAN) said that the popular contraceptive for youths was a condom while young women use contraceptive pills, implants and injection.

He said the reason why young women use contraceptives was because they were sexually active and that they wanted to prevent pregnancy and enjoy sex.

Zulu also noted that youths only had the fear of getting pregnant unlike contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

He said youths get contraceptives from the private sector where he said it was  easy for them to purchase contraceptive pills and condoms such as in the Chemists unlike going to the Clinic were medical practitioners will ask them questions of humiliation.

Jane Chisha is 19 years old married youth who is utilising family planning services. She says she started using family planning services after she had her first child. During her pregnancy she says she attendant antenatal clinic where she learnt that she could visit the clinic for family planning services.

Meanwhile, 21 years old Jackson Mulenga and 22 years old Juliet Banda both unmarried said they access the male condom and contraceptives from the Chemist because of lack of youth friendly corners at Clinics.  Mulenga said since condoms where affordable, it was easy to get them from shop counters and the Chemist.

Zulu said it was essential for the government to come up with youth friendly corners in clinics where youths would access their reproductive health and family planning information. 

In terms of differentials in contraceptive use by background and characteristics, Zulu said some youths used the contraceptive pills for pressure and some used the condom for protection against HIV/AIDS, STIs and unwanted pregnancies.

Zulu however noted that in terms of trends in contraceptive usage of contraceptive pills they defer from time to time depending on the status of the e youths were married or not  and also depending on the weather conditions. He observed that the use of contraceptives increased in the hot season especially the pill for young women. He however said that many youths abstain from sex especially with initiatives which promote abstinence as being okey.

Zulu also said Youths did know there fertile period as they get information from friends. “Many youths source of information on contraceptives was from School and some from Magazines, health centres and drug stores,” said Zulu.

He added that Youths had all the information before making a choice because they have discussion with health workers or counsellors who explain everything on the options and side effects of contraception’s. He said   apart from modern method they are also taught about the traditional methods.

Asked what challenges were there for youths in terms of accessing contraceptives, Zulu said that a bigger challenge was faced by youths who were not married as many were restricted by parents.

His organisation is trying to hold focus group discussions with youths in schools and workshops in some churches to help in creating awareness on reproductive health and family planning issues among the Youths.

Zulu however noted that many youths get science based sex education while at school. “Youths do get sex education in schools because a number of organisation have started sending peer educators to school to create awareness on sexual reproductive health,” said Zulu.