From cultural beliefs and bride price entitlement to fears of diminished masculinity and reduced sexual pleasure, many Nigerian husbands reject condoms and vasectomy, leaving their wives to bear the burden of family planning alone.
When the side effects of several contraceptives she used became too much to bear, a middle-aged mother of four, Amara Nwobi, summoned courage and walked into a registered pharmacy in the Somolu area of Lagos State.
Her goal was to enquire about contraceptive methods she could use to prevent another pregnancy.
As she interacted with the healthcare worker, our correspondent observed that Nwobi was quite knowledgeable about the several planning methods.
Whenever a method was mentioned, she’ll respond, “I don use that one before, I dey react to am.” This means that she has tried several methods and had reactions such as irregular menstruation, constant headaches and bloating.
As she left the pharmacy determined to go to the family planning unit of the Primary Healthcare Centre in her area for further counselling, our correspondent approached her to ask a few questions to which she obliged.
The mother of four explained, “Despite all these reactions I have, my husband will never agree to use a condom.
“He’ll say, ‘After I paid my wife’s bride price in full, I can’t use the condom with my wife. If I use it with her, what should I then use with ‘Olosho’?”
When asked if she had explained her reactions to the methods, Nwobi said her husband told her to enquire about other methods with the hope that one would be perfect for her.
Why would I use a condom with my wife?