A 2021 projection from the world population prospect for Nigeria, places proportion of women of reproductive age who are 15-19 years at 23%. The Challenge Initiative (TCI) which is a reproductive health initiative, supported implementation of Adolescent and Youth (AY) Sexual and Reproductive Health (AYSRH) program across 130 AY-friendly primary health centers (PHC) in 4 states in Nigeria.
TCI supported government-led scale up AYSRH high-impact interventions(HIIs) including advocacy, demand, supply, and Monitoring & evaluation activities in the 4 states (Edo, Niger, Ogun, and Plateau). TCI tracked family planning (FP) data by age and method type for adolescents and youths (AY) and reported uptake from July 2017 to September 2021 following extraction of data from the daily FP registers across 130 PHC facilities. A descriptive analysis of FP uptake by AYs was done for 4 FP methods including injectables, pills, IUD, and implants.
A total of 287,515 women aged 15-49 years received the 4 FP methods surveyed out of which 31,243 (11%) were aged 15-19 years. Of the 31,243 AYs, 45% received implants, 33% received injectables, 18% received pills and only 4% received IUDs. FP uptake trend varied by state, with the Northern (Niger and Plateau) states preferring the injectables and pills while the southern states (Edo and Ogun) preferred Implants. There was no marked difference in the percentage distribution of IUD across the 4 states.
FP uptake by AYs remains low in Nigeria, but with promising results, as 50% of estimated AYs took up methods. Documented reasons for low uptake include provider bias, lack of supportive FP policies, FP myths and misconceptions, stigma, and discrimination within communities etc. FP program managers and implementers should put strategic measures in place to address the barriers and closely monitor AYSRH program implementation, ensuring scale up of AYSRH HIIs.
