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Family planning pills do not cause cancer in women, says expert. |
Claims that family planning pills lead to cancer in women have been refuted as baseless and not rooted in fact.
The Family Planning Coordinator of Abia State, Mrs. Iheama Adanma Kelechi, made this clear during a sensitization event at the School of Health Technology in Aba, advising women to disregard conspiracy theories that lack scientific evidence or proven data.
She clarified that, contrary to certain misconceptions, family planning pills are harmless and simply interact with a woman's hormonal system.
She also noted that family planning encompasses natural birth control methods that do not require pill intake, and women are free to choose whichever method they prefer.
Adding to the discussion, the State Social Behavioural Change Communication Officer overseeing the Delivering Innovation in Self Care (DISC) initiative, Dr. Veronica Eze, mentioned that the project, supported by the Society for Family Health (SFH), is designed to help families implement an effective birth control strategy.
The goal of the five-year initiative, which is set to conclude later this year, is to raise awareness and encourage the use of self-administered Sayana Press (a contraceptive injection) to avoid unintended pregnancies.
The project's aim is to assist families in deciding how many children they wish to have.
Outreach efforts and the mobilization of advocates to visit health centers and communities have been undertaken to inform women about the benefits of adopting family planning.
Dr. Eze expressed satisfaction that, despite initial doubts and misunderstandings at the start of the project in 2019, there has been about an 80% uptake in Abia State over the past five years.
Sayana Press, a self-injectable contraceptive promoted by the project, is intended to aid couples in determining their desired family size, including the number and gender of their children.
"We enable advocates to enter communities and health facilities to inform women about the advantages of family planning. We encourage women to seek family planning services at clinics. The response has been positive, with women now independently seeking family planning advice."
Dr. Eze called on the state government to maintain the momentum "as the DISC project concludes this year," to preserve the progress achieved.
She emphasized the importance of continuing the project, noting that neglecting family planning could result in unchecked population growth, leading to potential issues such as overpopulation, scarcity of resources, and a rise in crime rates, among other problems.
