Not just a woman’s business, By Fatimah Bisola Lawal

At the same time as authorities companies and worldwide organisations proceed to create consciousness on the necessity to eradicate gender-based violence in Nigeria, one surprising approach that discrimination in opposition to girls manifests within the nation, however which we seldom talk about, is in using contraception amongst companions.

Household planning – through contraceptive use – permits girls to be in command of their fertility and lets them determine if and when to have kids. It additionally stays top-of-the-line methods for {couples} or households to collectively have management over their social and financial lives, as a result of it helps to correctly house pregnancies in line with the household’s wants, reduces undesirable pregnancies, and because of this, lowers pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality. 

Nonetheless, in my work finding out using contraception internationally, and notably in Nigeria, I discovered that too many males outsource the burden of household planning and contraception to their feminine companions, because of a fallacious notion that it’s a female-only problem. That is regardless of contraception offering each companions with higher alternatives to pursue their schooling or profession targets, stay within the workforce, and contribute to financial progress and development.

Not many males even know that they, reasonably than their wives, can select to make use of contraceptives. In a single examine that analysed information from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Well being Survey, researchers discovered that 71 per cent of Nigerian males (15-59 years) who participated within the examine don’t use any trendy contraceptive. Moreover, about 20 per cent of the examine individuals – practically 2000 males – opined that contraception is “a lady’s enterprise.”

A Girl’s Enterprise?

So why does this occur? It’s due to a false, deeply ingrained sense that contraception, or something to do with childbearing, is to be left to the girl to shoulder and that males don’t have anything to contribute.

That considering will be harmful to males, and detrimental to each the household and society at massive. On the household degree, leaving contraception to at least one particular person limits shared-making between {couples} and shrinks alternatives for {couples} to make selections that align with their household’s targets and wishes. Simply because it overly burdens girls, it additionally steals males’s decision-making energy. 

Even male condoms, that are so available, are usually not seeing a ok uptake. The prevalence of male condom use is barely about 21 per cent worldwide, in line with UNDESA, regardless of it being 87 per cent efficient. These numbers additional corroborate the truth that girls disproportionately bear the burden of contraceptive use. 

On the societal degree, the ideology wrongly perpetuates damaging gender norms and undermines efforts in the direction of gender fairness in reproductive well being. Such considering additionally usually sneaks into different household roles, comparable to little one care and upbringing, reinforcing damaging practices that are likely to unequally burden the girl with elevating a baby.

Biases in opposition to girls are evident and are bolstered by one-sided efforts in analysis and product growth. Contraceptive analysis and programmes have largely targeted on girls’s position within the follow, as if it solely takes a lady to create life. As well as, many of the present contraceptive choices are solely accessible for girls, leaving simply male condoms and vasectomy accessible to males. 

In line with a report by the United Nations Division of Financial and Social Affairs (UNDESA), lower than one per cent of males globally (42 million) have undergone a vasectomy. This methodology is 99 per cent efficient with little to no unwanted effects. Evaluate that to the 180 million girls who’ve undergone tubal ligation, the same everlasting process particularly for girls.

Even male condoms, that are so available, are usually not seeing a ok uptake. The prevalence of male condom use is barely about 21 per cent worldwide, in line with UNDESA, regardless of it being 87 per cent efficient. These numbers additional corroborate the truth that girls disproportionately bear the burden of contraceptive use. 

Though extremely advisable, contraceptive use is accompanied by downsides. Along with the price implications, and the logistic obstacles that ladies have to beat to resume female-centered contraceptive choices, a number of unwanted effects accompany contraceptive use, starting from bleeding irregularities to weight acquire, fatigue, temper modifications, and melancholy. 

Alternatively, we don’t absolutely know the way males is perhaps affected as a result of analysis on male contraceptive choices has been reasonably sluggish to emerge, regardless of the quite a few breakthroughs in science, medication, and expertise. One examine on male contraception was discontinued because of the  unwanted effects that the examine individuals skilled, comparable to temper modifications, melancholy, and injection website ache. These are a few of the identical unwanted effects that ladies have needed to endure for years. It appears as if society is saying, it is just the girl, merely beneath her gender, who should bear the challenges of contraceptive use. 

Whereas there are quite a few efforts by the worldwide neighborhood to make sure well being fairness for all, the present contraceptive panorama in Nigeria, and lots of different nations globally, signifies we’re removed from attaining it. There’s a vital want for holistic schooling and advocacy to vary the present beliefs that contraception – and copy extra broadly – is a lady’s enterprise. 

Time for Change Is Now

Involving each women and men in household planning efforts and schooling is vital, because it affords alternatives for {couples} to turn out to be empowered to make knowledgeable selections. It moreover instantly helps to focus on and eradicate myths and misconceptions about contraceptive use, in addition to cultural biases in the direction of childcare basically, bringing us, as a society, to a really perfect state of well being fairness.

The thought is for all people to have a good alternative to realize their highest well being potential and for nobody to be deprived from attaining their finest due to their gender, race, ethnicity, or socio-economic standing. Sadly, the fairness area shouldn’t be degree for girls, as they’ve to decide on considered one of two evils: Both contraception and its related burdens or no contraceptives and the loss of bodily autonomy. 

For a lot of girls, it’s not often a win-win state of affairs as a result of both possibility comes at a value. 

Whereas there are quite a few efforts by the worldwide neighborhood to make sure well being fairness for all, the present contraceptive panorama in Nigeria, and lots of different nations globally, signifies we’re removed from attaining it. There’s a vital want for holistic schooling and advocacy to vary the present beliefs that contraception – and copy extra broadly – is a lady’s enterprise. 

So, how can issues change? We have to ask ourselves: When will the male capsule or different long-acting strategies for males lastly turn out to be accessible? When will vasectomy be normalised in our society? When will science and medication prioritise contraceptive choices, devoid of unwanted effects for girls, because it has for males? 

Concerted efforts are urgently wanted from researchers, advocates, and donors to push for extra contraceptive choices for males and to encourage their uptake. Contraceptive growth efforts also needs to prioritise creating contraceptive choices devoid of unwanted effects for girls, in order that they will have a good alternative to realize their full well being potential. We are able to’t count on to realize sexual and reproductive well being fairness inside {couples} or household items, whereas our actions as a society point out in any other case. 

Fatimah Bisola Lawal is a public well being practitioner.