adminTHE past century has seen advances made in the area of family planning as a public health issue. Though strides have been made tremendously, there are still some myths and misconceptions about family planning.
The modern woman wants one, two or three children at most, which is still fewer number of children in comparison to those women in the past generations.
Today’s woman is informed and wants to plan for her family.
However, most women are shying away from the family planning pill(s) due to numerous myths and misconceptions surrounding their use.
Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) executive director Dr Munyaradzi Murwira reiterated that family planning pills were safe to use despite the negative connotations against them.
“We once again remind our valued clients that contraceptives in Zimbabwe are safe and consumers should take information from medically qualified personnel and not anyone else,” he said.
“Zimbabwe uses international guidelines and best practices through the technical expertise and medical research of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the provision of safe, effective and quality guaranteed medical products including contraceptives.”
The family planning pill has been linked to health issues such as cancer. This is a myth. The pill does not cause cancer and has been proven safe for use worldwide after many years of research.
Some people are opposed to family planning for religious views. For instance some argue that major religions such as Islam and Christianity forbid contraception. This is not true as Islam and most Christian denominations allow couples to use modern and natural methods to plan their families.
Gaining weight from the pill is one of the most popular fears that women have about using it. Despite this common belief, no studies have actually found that women taking a low-dose birth control pill are at a significantly increased risk of gaining weight compared to women not taking the pill. Like other potential side effects, not everyone who takes the birth control pill will experience weight gain.
In the Zimbabwean public sector, the following family planning pills are being used; Secure Pills (Oral contraceptive), Control (Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill) and the Marvelon Pill (Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill).
And for emergency contraceptive, the country uses Postino 2 and Revoke 72.
In 2012, the country consumed 13,2 million pills; 2013 the numbers increased to 14,5 million and for 2014 the country recorded 13,9 million consumption. The approximate cost for a year’s usage of family planning pills is US$5 million.
Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2014 states that the pill contributes to 43,9 percent usage among contraceptive methods in Zimbabwe.
The Government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Health and Child Care has been supporting and promoting the use of contraceptives since independence.
In realising the importance of family planning in improving the quality of life and in socio-economic development of the nation, the Government created a parastatal under the Ministry of Health and Child Care; the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council through an Act of Parliament in 1985.
Besides the common myths and misconceptions about the family planning pill, some people have claimed that contraceptives lead to death in adverse cases.
Dr Murwira, however, vehemently disproved the claims.
“We have not yet received any death related to family planning pills. In fact family planning saves the lives of women and children. Each pregnancy that a woman experiences poses risks to her health and the health of the child she carries,” he explained.
“By preventing unintended pregnancies, family planning helps a woman avoid these risks. Hence family planning reduces maternal deaths. Delivery can be a dangerous time for mothers. By reducing the number of pregnancies and births a woman experiences over her lifetime, family planning helps women avoid health complications.”
Currently, family planning averts about 310 000 unintended pregnancies in Zimbabwe each year. By investing in family planning now, the country can increase this number to almost 500 000 per year by 2020.
Dr Murwira added that the usage of family planning pills would continuously be promoted through multimedia campaigns (both print and electronic) including road shows, workplace health education and promotion talks and community health education programmes.
Family planning, according to WHO allows individuals to control the spacing and timing of births, and to attain their desired number of children. In the short-term, this can create the potential for lower maternal and infant mortality rates through fewer unplanned pregnancies, and also reduce HIV transmission, unsafe abortion practices, and enhance education and employment opportunities for women.
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Online Reporter