Restoring Harmony in the Household After Receiving Family Planning Services

Victoria Mbaba is a 35-year-old mother of seven children living with her husband in Ezinifite Okpuno, Awka South local government area (LGA) in Anambra state. She is known in her community as “Nwanyi Ukwa” — a name given to her from trade in ukwa, a southeastern delicacy. She works to support her large family and ensure her children are well cared for. Her husband occasionally serves as a motorcycle rider (“Okada”) but often is unemployed and jobless.

Victoria constantly worries about having additional children and, as a result, avoids sexual intimacy with her husband, which contributes to tension in her marriage. Although Victoria had heard about family planning, she had some concerns and didn’t know that a facility near her home offers family planning services.

In August 2019, Chioma Okafor, a satisfied family planning user and social mobilizer in Awka South LGA, reached out to “Nwanyi Ukwa” with family planning information. She informed her of the benefits of family planning, the various methods available and dispelled the myths and misconceptions that Victoria had heard. She referred Victoria to the Okpuno primary health center (PHC). Chioma also provided her with information on the affordability of contraception and proximity of the services to her home. Empowered with this information, Victoria went to the Okpuno PHC, where she was counselled and received the family planning method of her choice.

Now, she enjoys intimacy with her husband without fear of an unplanned pregnancy, making both her and her husband happy.

Contributed by: Onyedikachi Ewe