By Moma Sandrine
As days go by, things evolve and there becomes an increasing need to adopt modern methods of science and technology. Science has given birth to modern methods of health care which have drawn the attention of many. One of science’s innovations in health is family planning methods.
Family planning can be put simply as regulating the number of children in a family and the intervals between their births. Although this notion was brought up for the purpose of planning a family, unmarried boys and girls who are not ready to parent children turn to get attracted to it. The growing need for healthier births has made family planning an essential unit of most hospitals and health centers as is the case with the Regional Hospital Bamenda.
The SUN talked to Elizabeth Kake, reproductive health nurse and head of the family planning unit of the Bamenda regional hospital on the importance of planning amongst other health issues.
Read on.
The SUN: Can you tell us what family planning actually is?
Nurse Elizabeth Kake: Family planning is an essential component of primary health care which is aimed at regulating birth pattern and preventing neonatal and maternal mortality.
What are the different methods of family planning?
Firstly, family planning is divided in two; the natural and artificial methods. Under the natural methods we have abstinence, the calendar method where the woman studies her menstrual cycle using the calendar so as to know her safe days and the symptomthemal method where the woman studies the symptoms between her cycle to determine her fertile and non-fertile windows.
Under the artificial method we have the use of condoms, pills, injectables and implants. A permanent method will be the Bilateral Tube Libation, BTL where the tube is brought out and stitched such that a woman can never conceive. Such a method is only administered to someone who does not intend to have children ever in her life. Men are administered vasectomy which is the cutting of the valves so that a man becomes unable to impregnate a woman. Thereafter the man is issued a certificate of sterility such that a woman can’t implicate him with pregnancy.
How effective are these family planning methods?
Well I will say it depends on the method you use. Using a condom, you can’t be 100% guaranteed because it can give way in the process of intercourse. With the pills, as long as you do not forget to swallow you are sure of your safety. As for injectables and implants, they expire after a given duration, say three months, five years or even more. All these methods can give you 99% guarantee. The only method with 100% guarantee is abstinence.
Who can take family planning and how beneficial is it?
Men and women of the reproductive age can take family planning because it helps determine the number of children in a family, prevents unwanted pregnancy thereby reducing the rate of abortion and maternal mortality.
Is anybody restricted from taking family planning?
Yes. Clients with cancer, hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy and pregnant women are restricted from taking family planning because the medications they take may have counter reactions with pills, injectables or implants.
Does family planning have any disadvantages?
Well I won’t call them disadvantages but side effects which may include naussea, vomiting, and spotting within periods.
What is your message to the population?
People should come to the clinic and get first hand information from those trained in reproductive health. They should not be misled by what they hear from others. There are unhealthy rumors that family planning can cause sterility but it’s untrue. It can only delay the return of fertility which hardly exceeds 9 months.