Background Women’s ability to make contraceptive decision can determine their contraceptive use which can improve their reproductive health and career. Improvement in such ability can increase contraceptive prevalence in Nigeria. However, factors that promote contraceptive decision-making among women are scarcely studied. This study examined factors associated with women’s individual or joint contraceptive decision-making in Nigeria. Methods Secondary (cross-sectional) data were analysed. The data were extracted from the individual recode file of the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). Partnered women (i.e., currently married or living with a partner) aged 15–49 years and currently using contraceptives before the survey were considered. They constituted 4,823 in total. Their data were analysed using frequency and percentage distributions of variables, Chi-square tests of independence and multinominal logistic regression. Results Findings reveal that 23% (1,125) of women made their own contraceptive decision, nearly 67% (3,213) were joint decision makers, and 10% (491) stated that their male partners had decided for them. The probability of solely making contraceptive decision and being a joint decision maker (relative to being a male partner’s decision) was higher among women above 29 years and aged 30–34 years (than women aged 15–24 years) respectively as well as among the employed (than the unemployed) and among those from Yoruba ethnic group (than their counterparts from Hausa/Fulani/Kanuri/Beri Beri) respectively. The probability of being responsible for contraceptive decision (than being the male partner’s decision) was higher among women from the Igbo group and women whose male partners desired more children (than those with the same number of desired children) respectively. The probability of being the main decision maker (relative to being the male partner) was lower among women in the poorer (RRR = 0.39; 95%CI = 0.21–0.73; p = 0.01), middle (RRR = 0.47; 95%CI = 0.25–0.90; p = 0.02) and richest (RRR = 0.41; 95%CI = 0.20–0.82; p = 0.01) groups respectively, than the poorest women. The probability of being a joint decision maker was higher among women with secondary education (than the uneducated), practised Christianity (than the Muslims/ others), and among those residing in the North West region (than those in North East) respectively. However, the probability of being a joint decision-maker was lower among women whose partners desire more children and those who did not know their partners’ desires. Conclusions Women’s age, highest level of education, employment status, wealth index, ethnicity, religion, region of residence and male partners’ desire for children are associated with contraceptive decision making respectively. There is a need for reproductive empowerment interventions in Nigeria that devise effective ways of improving contraceptive decision-making power of partnered women aged 15–24 years, unemployed, in the poorer and richest groups, from the Hausa/Fulani/Kanuri/Beri Beri ethnic group, practising Islam/ other religions, have the same fertility desire as their partners and those who do not know their male partner’s desire for children respectively. Women whose partners desire more children should be empowered to participate effectively in contraceptive decision making.

This study sought to identify the socio-demographic, economic, and psychological factors associated with risky sexual behaviour among sexually active youths in Nigeria with the view to providing more empirical information for the development of more effective interventions to improve safe-sex practices and the sexual health of the young people in Nigeria. The study analyzed the male and female datasets extracted from the 6th round of the Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey data (MICS) (n=7,909) using descriptive statistics and multiple binary logistic regression to achieve the study objectives and test hypothesis. The results showed that 66% of the youths have had sex before reaching 18 years, 77% had unprotected sex, and 32% have had more than one-lifetime sexual partner. The significance of the association between socio-demographic (age, sex, marital status, ever fathered/mothered, awareness of AIDS, ethnicity, residence, and region), economic factors (employment status and wealth index), and risky sexual behaviour differ by the category of risky sexual behaviour. Overall psychological factor (satisfaction with life) was a significant correlate of the lifetime number of sexual partners. This study concludes that socio-demographic, economic, and psychological factors were predictive of risky sexual behaviour among young people in Nigeria. However, the significance of these predictors differs by type of risky sexual behaviour. The study recommends that more effective sexual health interventions must also address the prevalent psychological risk factors among young people in Nigeria- apart from different background characteristics- which could predispose them to risky sexual practices.

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Intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with women’s poor reproductive health outcomes. This study examined the influence of IPV on couples’ fertility planning status (FPS). Couples’ data from Nigeria’s Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) conducted in 2018 were used. A weighted sample of 4,650 couples was analyzed from the domestic violence module of the NDHS. Complementary log-log (cloglog) models were fitted to estimate the effects on FPS. The results showed that in marital relationships where husbands were older than wives, there was a 28% higher likelihood of planned fertility than couples where husbands were younger or within the same age range (Exp.B.=1.28; CI=1.10, 1.50). Couples who practiced the same religion had a 25% higher likelihood of planning their fertility than those practicing different religions (Exp.B.=1.25; CI=1.07, 1.47). Couples with no IPV had a 13% higher likelihood of planning their fertility (Exp.B.=1.13; CI=1.04, 1.24). IPV, poverty, and child sex preference had significant negative influences on couples’ FPS. Couples should be advised against all forms of IPV, and they should be made to understand that IPV jeopardizes their reproductive intentions. Specific enlightenment programs dissuading child sex preference may also be targeted at them.

Background Socio-cultural and gender-based issues influence sexuality of emerging adults. These gender-based issues worsen sexual health outcomes of emerging adults in studies outside Nigeria. Some of these issues are male dominance in sexual relationships, health care providers’ bias in attending to sexual health needs of emerging adults and age disparate sexual relationships. Studies have reported that males dominate females in sexual relationship largely in part owing to masculinity tendencies. Also, health care providers view emerging adults as randy when seeking information on sexual and reproductive health care services. Added to these is age disparate sexual relationships. Older men engage in exchanged sex while younger females are unable to negotiate condom. All these speak to gender and social inequality in sexual relationships are largely undocumented in Nigeria. Method This study collected information purposively using a qualitative inquiry. Thirty (30) in-depth interviews (IDIs), six (6) Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Eighteen (18) Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) were conducted across the three main ethnic groups in Nigeria. Result Narratives and interviews showed nuanced discourses of all these gendered issues. Males dominated females in sexual relationships through suppression to negotiate condom, diminished females’ individual agency, and engagement in multiple sexual partnerships. Females endured domination of males in sexual relationships to sustain relationships. Also, health providers were biased and indifferent in providing sexual and reproductive health services to emerging adults. This study showed poor socio-economic status makes older men to exploit and take advantage of younger females in sexual relationships. Wide age difference and the notion of fulfilling their side in a paid sexual intercourse made younger females unable to negotiate condom. Conclusion Gender-based issues and socio-cultural norms diminished individual agency of emerging adults, especially females, achieving positive sexuality. Policies that dispel socio-cultural and gendered norms in sexual relationships should be encouraged, including increased awareness on sex education to parents and children, skill acquisitions and empowerment programmes for emerging adults and capacity building of health providers to improve provision of SRH needs of emerging adults.