Understanding female condom use, acceptance, accessibility, awareness and knowledge among female public health students in a Nigerian university: A cross-sectional study

Gabriel  Oke; Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi; Obafemi  Arinola Olarewaju; Progress Agboola; Esther  Abosede Ilesanmi; Alumuku  Iordepuun Micheal; Attaullah Ahmadi; Don Eliseo  Lucero-Prisno III

doi:10.56101/rimj.v1i2.16

Authors

Gabriel Oke Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi Kateb University
Obafemi Arinola Olarewaju Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
Progress Agboola Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
Esther Abosede Ilesanmi Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
Alumuku Iordepuun Micheal V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
Attaullah Ahmadi International School of Medicine
Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56101/rimj.v1i2.16

Keywords:

Female condom, Female Students, Young Women, Sexual Health and Reproductive Rights, Public Health, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The female condom is both a means of mechanical contraception and protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unwed pregnancies. The use and uptake of female condoms have been advocated as one of the safest ways to halt the risk of unplanned/unwanted pregnancies and STIs including HIV. Our study aimed to explore the knowledge, awareness, utilization, acceptance and accessibility of FC among female public health students in a Nigerian University.

Methods: One hundred and ninety (190) female public health students took part in the study. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data between August and December 2019. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 23.

Results: Overall percentage awareness of female condoms usage in this study was 52.0%. Less than a quarter (22.4%) reported having seen a pack of female condoms, while the remaining 77.6% of the participants reported having never seen a pack of female condoms. In addition, the majority (87.4%) of the respondents did not know whether a female condom interferes with sexual pleasure/sensation. The majority of the respondents (77.4%) concurred that utilizing a female condom implies that "I don't trust my partner". Concerning accessibility of the female condom, only 1.8% agreed that FC is easily accessible while more than half (54.2%) are uncertain of the accessibility.

Conclusion: Our study revealed a low level of knowledge and utilization of female condoms, and also limited access to the female condom as well as unsatisfactory acceptance and suboptimal awareness level which were suggested by the overall percentages in the study.

Author Biographies

Gabriel Oke, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology

Faculty of Basic Medical Science, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Nigeria.

Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi, Kateb University

Global Health Focus, Abuja, Nigeria.

Medical Research Center, Kateb University, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Obafemi Arinola Olarewaju, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology

Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Nigeria.

Progress Agboola, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology

Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Nigeria.

Esther Abosede Ilesanmi, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology

Faculty of Nursing, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Nigeria.

Alumuku Iordepuun Micheal, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University

School of Medicine, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Attaullah Ahmadi, International School of Medicine

Medical Research Center, Kateb University, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Department of Public Health, International School of Medicine, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.

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