¹Oyeneyin A.O, ²Oyeneyin A.J, ³Ojo-Rowland M, ⁴Osho P.O, ⁵Titiloye M.A, ⁶Arulogun O.S.

¹Department of Population Family and Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo state, Nigeria

²Department of Health policy and System Management, School of Public Health, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo state, Nigeria

³State specialist Hospital, Akure, Ondo State

⁴Department of Hematology and Blood transfusion, University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Ondo State, Nigeria.

⁵Department of Health promotion and Education, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

⁶Department of Health promotion and Education, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Corresponding Author: Osho P.O, Department of Hematology and Blood transfusion, University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Ondo State, Nigeria.

Citation: Oyeneyin A.O, Oyeneyin A.J, Ojo-Rowland M, Osho P.O, Titiloye M.A, Arulogun O.S. (2024) Unintended Pregnancies and Decision-Making Among Married Women in South-West Nigeria: what Drives their Choices?. Int J Fam Med Pub Health, 3(2);1-5.

Copyrights: © 2024, Oyeneyin A.O, Oyeneyin A.J, Ojo-Rowland M, Osho P.O, Titiloye M.A, Arulogun O.S., This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

ABSTRACT

Background: Unintended pregnancies pose significant risks to women's health, families, and society. In Nigeria, the factors influencing decision-making regarding unintended pregnancies among married women remain largely unexplored. Aim: This study aimed to identify these factors in South-West Local Government Area (IBSWLGA). Methodology: Using an exploratory, phenomenological design, the study employed qualitative methods. Ten out of twelve wards were selected via balloting for Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and the remaining two wards for In-depth Interviews (IDIs). One community per ward was randomly chosen for FGDs, conducted with purposively selected women of child-bearing age who had two children in the past five years. Additionally, six IDIs were conducted with women who had experienced unintended pregnancies. Data collection involved FGD guides and IDI schedules addressing decision-making, spousal reactions, induced abortions, and contraceptive use, with thematic analysis of the responses.  Result: The socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents showed that 38.4% were between the ages of 26 and 30, with a mean age of 28.5 ± 4.98 years. Additionally, 47.6% of the participants had three children at the time of the study. Most participants (58.3%) had completed tertiary education, and a significant majority (79.2%) were Yoruba. Nearly half (49.5%) identified as Christians, and a large portion (63.1%) were self-employed. Many FGD participants experienced unintended pregnancies during the nursing period of a previous child. Key factors influencing decisions to continue pregnancies included spousal support, fear of complications, failed induced abortions, and the desire for more children. Conclusion: Married women often encounter significant challenges when dealing with unintended pregnancies, frequently depending on their spouses for decision-making. The study highlighted a disparity between knowledge and the practical use of contraceptives, resulting in high rates of unintended pregnancies. Asides the intensifying means of public awareness, conducting workshops and seminars for religious leaders, traditional healers and grassroots political leaders can equip them with accurate knowledge about the health risks associated with unsafe abortions, and the critical importance of comprehensive reproductive health education.

Keywords: Unintended Pregnancy, Induced Abortion, Contraceptives.