Knowledge and Use of Contraceptives Methods amongst Unmarried Women in Northern Nigeria. Insight from the Performance Monitoring and Action Data (2018)

Daniel Omole, Viable Knowledge Masters
Nchelem Nchegbo, Viable Knowledge Masters
Nebechukwu Henry Ugwu, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Olusesan A. Makinde, Viable Knowledge Masters

Contraceptives have significantly contributed to the empowerment and health enhancement of women, displaying heightened efficacy. Despite these strides, contraceptive prevalence rates remain stagnant among sexually active youth, notably in northern Nigeria. This study investigates contraceptive knowledge and usage among unmarried women in northern Nigeria, utilizing 2018 cross-sectional data from Action-Nigeria's performance monitoring survey. Of the respondents, 89.4% were sexually active unmarried women, with 35.8% employing at least one contraceptive method. Regardless of recent sexual activity, respondents demonstrated a knowledge score exceeding 50% for contraception methods. Unmarried women in northern Nigeria display reasonable understanding, with the majority aware of at least one method. Contraceptive use among sexually active unmarried women in this region is moderate. Addressing this necessitates targeted programs to increase contraceptive adoption among northern Nigeria's sexually active women.