Family Planning Services Utilisation by Antenatal Patients in a Teaching Hospital: Impact of Access and Use of Reproductive Health Information

Access and use of Reproductive Health Information (RHI) by a woman in her reproductive age plays a crucial role in their decision on how to utilize services on family planning. Effective reproductive health services should be discussed, encouraged and its services accessed for the wellbeing of women and society at large. This study assesses family planning service utilization among ante-natal patients at a Nigerian teaching hospital. It investigates the impact of access to and use of reproductive health information, aiming to understand factors influencing family planning choices and identify areas for improvement in service delivery. It adopted a nonprobability purposive sample technique involving a total of 122 pregnant ante natal patients that were available and ready to be part of the study. A questionnaire was used to collect data; face and content validity was conducted and a reliability coefficient of (α = 0.80) was obtained. The study revealed that the major family planning services accessible to women at OSUTH are Family life and sexual health information 74(60.7%), Sexuality educational training 68(55.7%), Counseling services for choice of best methods 54(44.3%), Breast examination 52(42.6%) and use of oral contraceptives 48(39.3%), while sterilization 44(36.1%), testing for STDs 42(34.3%), application and use of barrier methods 38(31.1%), training on use of injectable and implants 34(27.9%), birth control services after unprotected sex 32(26.2%), pregnancy testing 32(26.2%) and application of intrauterine devices (IUDS) 28(23.0%) were less accessible. The level of utilization of family planning services in the hospital was high as well as level of accessibility to reproduction health information. Access to and use of reproductive health information positively influenced family planning services use by the ante-natal patients (r = 0.134; p < .05) and (r = 0.134; p < .05), respectively. The study concludes a healthy society good economic development id a function of an improved health care system geared toward achieving public health goals. The article recommends that healthcare facilities should expand access to vital but less accessible family planning services, enhance counseling integrate technology in educating the masses on reproductive health information. Midwives, health workers and more especially hospital librarians’/information experts need to intensify efforts in sensitization campaigns emphasizing reproductive health information utilization.