Hassan Bah, AYV News, September 26, 2023
Service Marketing Manager at Marie Stopes in Sierra Leone, Fayia Foray has revealed that Marie Stopes administraters over one thousand contraceptives to women every week in Sierra Leone.
Every year on September 26, World Contraception Day spreads awareness about contraception and safe sex. The Day also teaches younger generations to make informed decisions about sexual health.
Speaking exclusively to AYV News, Mr. Foray said the administration of contraceptives to people has not only contributed to the economic growth of the country but has also led to the alleviation of porverty and the empowerment of female youth to a large extent.
He said it has even strength the sexual reproductive health through awareness raising countrywide, adding; “when you think about the economic impact contraceptives have over the years made, one will notice that they have helped a lot of young women to make informed decisions about their sexual health.
“With contraceptives, women are able to control their birth rate, when, how and whom she wants to have children with. The administration of contraceptives, makes it possible for women to control their birth by choosing when to have children, how many children they want to have and with whom they want to have their children with.
“Contraceptives have prevented lots of young women from dropping out of school and had it not being for contraceptives, many young women would have dropped out of school.
“At the end of the day, if we have lots of women who have dropped out of school, who are not able to continue their schooling because of unintended pregnancy, then would have become a problem for our society”.
Memunatu Kamara, one of those who take contraceptives, told AYV News that she has been on contraceptives for over five years now.
She said some contraceptives taken work well, while others give serious complications, depending on the immune system of the individual who takes them.
Memunatu further explained that when she started taking contraceptives, she faced lots of complications and have seen immense progress when she changed her dose to oral contraceptives.
She said: “The first day I took conceptive commonly known as ‘Captian Band’ I faced lots of complications. I experienced disturbance of my menstrual circle and would not have my period for more than two months and because of this, I became pissed off. It fact, it even reduced both my libido and sexual pleasure.
“However, since I started taken oral contraceptives, this has come to pass and I now experience everything normal”.
In 2007, 10 international family planning organizations came together to form World Contraception Day. They set a goal to promote safe, effective, and preferred family planning options and contraceptive methods. Additionally, 15 NGOs throughout the world, along with several scientific and medical societies, support this day.
Many believe birth control is a fairly modern invention. However, men and women as far back as 3000 BC used various ways to prevent pregnancy. In 3000 BC, ancient Egyptian men had invented the first condom. IN 1850 BC, women were using a pessary as a way to prevent pregnancy. This contraceptive device was placed inside the vagina to kill sperm. The pessary contained a concoction of crocodile dung, honey, and sodium carbonate.
Many other people throughout the years tried to develop their own contraception. People even used products (that should never be used on or inside the body) such as Lysol to prevent pregnancy. In 1960, the FDA approved the first birth control pill.
Besides preventing pregnancy, one type of contraception also prevents sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than one million STDs are acquired daily. Each year, doctors diagnose 376 million new cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis. Condoms and abstinence prevent all of these STDs.
On this Day, family planning organisations host events to educate the general public on the importance of contraception. Along with increasing awareness about the different kinds of contraception, these organizations hand out free condoms. The events have also included family-planning-themed trivia, person-on-the-street interviews about family planning, displays of contraceptive devices worldwide, and contraceptive-themed costume parties.
