By Hou Akot Hou
A reproductive health officer in Northern Bahr El Ghazal state is calling on families to embrace family planning measures for birth control.
Marko Ayuel Ayuel said they discovered that a lot of people have misconceptions and stereotypes against family planning methods.
“Some people do go around talking about taking pills or contraceptives to control birth for a given period,” he said.
But Ayuel explained that family planning helps in reducing mortality rates and giving birth to a high number of children, which can’t be nurtured well given the difficulties being faced by the parents.
The reproductive health officer said many people don’t know the facts regarding birth control, adding that they want to embark on massive family planning.
He mentioned the benefits of birth control, which include the prevention of unwanted pregnancy and the avoidance of sexually transmitted diseases through the use of condoms and contraceptives.
“Some women get complications in the delivery period as rupture of the uterus can occur. And also, you can see the high number of children in the street, which is something that people have to work to address by minimizing the number of children by taking decisive action as partners,” he lamented.
Ayuel disclosed that there are both short- and long-term actions in terms of contraceptives, as some can take months and others for 3 years, but there is no permanent family planning, as others fear.
He said it is up to the partners to decide when the woman can take the contraceptive, as they are provided free of charge in the health facilities.
He added that family planning is good as the population grows, and poverty can be defeated as people can work better.
Ayuel also stated that a woman who has gone for family planning can even pursue studies as one of the benefits.
Family planning is all about birth control, especially when carried out by monogamous heterosexual couples.