Appropriate antenatal care services promotes safe-motherhood and delivery with improved maternal and neonatal outcome. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the factors influencing the utilization of antenatal care services in a rural community. Of the 200 women studied, 113 (57%) utilized antenatal care services during pregnancy while 87 (43%) did not. The difference is not significant (P > 0.05). A majority of the women who attained secondary education (69%), post-secondary education (96%), those whose husbands had secondary education (69%), postsecondary education (82%) and those who had income-yielding occupations (72%) utilized antenatal care services. While only 36% of full-time housewives, with no other occupation, and 19% of women with a parity of more than 4 children utilized antenatal care services. It is suggested that low-income, uneducated women with high parity should be targeted for enlightenment; in addition to promoting education of the girl-child and women empowerment.

Objective:. To assess the level of regard and misconceptions of modern family planning methods in Abraka communities. Methods: The interviewer's administered questionnaire method was used to gather the required information from 657 respondents randomly chosen from PO, Ajalomi, Erho, Oria, Otorho, Umeghe, Urhuoka and Uruagbesa communities in Abraka kingdom. Results: Results show that 75.3% of those interviewed were aware of modern family planning but only 42.9% were using it to plan their families. Those using condom, safe periods and withdrawal constitute 32.6% of the 42.9% figure. Thus, data indicate a fairly high degree of awareness but little regard for family planning. Conclusion: Campaigns should be organized in order to educate Abraka communities on the benefits and need for family planning. Government should provide quality, comprehensive and subsidized family planning services. In addition, research efforts should be intensified on how to take advantage of the traditional methods of family planning to systematically introduce the modern method, so as to gradually eliminate the associated bias and misconceptions associated with modern methods of family planning.

HIV/AIDS has become a global health challenge and, with no cure presently, prevention is the only available option in combating it.The aim of the study was to determine the knowledge and attitudes of pregnant women towards HIV/AIDS. A total of 200 consecutive women coming for antenatal care had a structured interview about the risk factors for HIV/AIDS.While most of the women (91%) were aware of HIV/AIDS, and that it could be transmitted sexually (95.6%) and through infected blood (57.7%), knowledge of its transmission through breast milk (36.8%) and mother-to-child (27.5%) was poor. Overall, 95.6% of the women would not want to stay in the same house with an AIDS patient and, 92.3% would not care for a relative with AIDS.

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