Reproductive Health Information Needs and Access Among Rural Women in Nigeria: A Study of Nsukka Zone in Enugu State

Abstract

This article presents a study of the reproductive health information needs and access practices of rural women in Nsukka Cultural Zone, Enugu State, South East Nigeria. Three hundred and fifty women from 14 rural Nsukka communities were surveyed and 335 responses analysed. It was found that the main reproductive health information needs of the women were related to infertility; use of contraception; abortion; prevention of sexually transmitted diseases; antenatal care; and postnatal care. The main existing sources of reproductive health information were found to be: friends and relations; hospitals and health centres; churches; women's organisations; and radio and television. Fewer than half (46%) of the women participants were found to be accessing reproductive health information using their mobile phones. The author recommends enhanced rural development approaches that include: information provision through mobile communications; opening of rural libraries and information centres with Internet hubs; and sustainable adult literacy campaigns focused on reproductive health information. The study outlined in this article examined the reproductive health information needs of rural women in the Nsukka Cultural Zone of Enugu State in South East Nigeria. Specifically, the study sought to: identify the major reproductive health information needs of women; find out what were the existing governmental and/ or non-governmental information access structures in the women's localities that could meet these information needs; determine the women's existing sources of reproductive health information; determine the challenges faced by women in accessing reproductive health information; and recommend strategies for improved access to reproductive health information. Keywords

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