PERCEPTION OF MARRIED WOMEN ON FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMME IN KALGO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KEBBI STATE.

This study examined the perception of married women on family planning programmes in Kalgo Local Government Area of Kebbi State. The objectives were to assess the level of awareness of family planning, identify the factors influencing its acceptance or rejection, and evaluate the effectiveness of existing family planning initiatives in the area. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and data were collected from 400 married women of reproductive age (15–49 years) selected through multi-stage sampling. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection, and the results were analyzed using both descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests. Findings revealed a high level of awareness of family planning (86%), but a notably low utilization rate (22%), indicating a significant gap between knowledge and practice. Education was found to be a major determinant of contraceptive use, as respondents with higher educational attainment demonstrated more positive perceptions and higher uptake of family planning methods. Cultural and religious beliefs strongly influenced reproductive decisions, with 59% indicating that their culture discourages contraceptive use, while 65% reported needing spousal permission before accessing family planning services. Misconceptions also persisted, as 47% of respondents believed that contraceptives cause infertility. Chi-square analysis further confirmed significant relationships between women’s educational level and family planning utilization (p < 0.05), and between cultural opposition and contraceptive use (p < 0.05). The study concludes that while awareness of family planning is relatively high in Kalgo LGA, socio-cultural norms, religious influences, low levels of education, and persistent myths continue to hinder effective utilization. It recommends community-based sensitization, enhanced female education, male involvement in reproductive health decision-making, and improved access to quality family planning services as strategies to improve uptake among married women in the study area.