Related
Read our latest articles, studies and columns on sexual health and rights.
As Malawi joined the rest of the world last Saturday in commemorating World Contraception Day, the occasion brought a flush of memories regarding myths surrounding the use of contraceptives, more especially among the youth.
Demystifying birth control
There have been claims that long-term use of contraception makes it harder for one to get pregnant again while others have claimed that teenagers and women who have not had a child before need not use contraceptives.
19-year-old Maureen Issa got pregnant while in Standard Six and by that time, she was just sixteen. She opted for the Intrauterine Device (IUD) birth control.
“I got pregnant in 2016 and I had to stay home but fellow youths were visting me and encouraged me to go back to school after delivering my baby so in 2019, I took the IUD birth control method and currently, I am in Standard 8 and all is well,’’ she said.
Issa, based in Machinga, is among the youths that are accessing modern Family Planning (FP) methods in the district.
Through the ‘Yes I Do’ project being implemented by a consortium of five organisations including Family Planning Association of Malawi (Fpam), Plan International, Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), Amref Health Africa and the Centre for Youth Empowerment and Civic Education (CYECE), Maureen got the courage to use modern contraceptive method.
Read the whole article published in BNL Times (Malawi) here.
