Family planning (FP) allows individuals and couples to anticipate and attain their desired number of children and the spacing and timing of their births. It is achieved through use of contraceptive methods and the treatment of involuntary infertility. A woman’s ability to space and limit her pregnancies has a direct impact on her health and well-being as well as on the outcome of each pregnancy; thereby, promoting the health and welfare of family groups and effectively contributing to the social development of a country. The study was conducted to determine the pattern of utilization of family planning services among women of reproductive age attending the Comprehensive Health Centre, Oba-Ile, Akure, Nigeria. A sequential mixed method explanatory research approach was adopted for the study, with an initial retrospective quantitative data collection from clients’ records for the 5-year period (2016-2020); followed by a qualitative data collection using in-depth interview of key informants to provide further explanation on the key findings from the quantitative phase. The findings revealed that of the randomly selected 317 records, majority 147(46.4%) of the women were aged 21-30 years and the mean age was 30.48years; 302 (95%) of them were married; and they all had formal education; although, only 43(13.56%) had tertiary education. Over two-thirds of them 253 (79.8%) were employed; while, 30(9.46%) were students and 34(10.72%) were either unemployed or full housewife. Those with Parity 1-3 were 212(66.9%), and only 4 (1.3%) had 7-10 children; while, the mean parity was 3. The total number of women utilizing family planning services in the facility annually, increased from 132 in 2016 to 713 in 2020. The sample did not reveal any quarterly pattern of utilization of the services by the women. The study also showed that majority (37.9%) of the women used the Jadelle method of family planning, followed by Implanon (30.9%); and majority of the clients did not change their choices (57.1%). The qualitative data revealed the need for sustained presence of family planning providers and continued support from development partners; as the drop in 2017 was reportedly due to lack of a provider, while the consistently improved attendance thereafter was attributed to the collaboration with development partners.
Keywords: Family Planning, Pattern, Reproductive Age, Utilization, Women, comprehensive health centre
