Oduniyi Aishat Abisinuola, Nursing Science - Olabisi Onabanjo University, 2025

Family planning, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2022) enables individuals and couples to achieve their desired number of children, if any, and to determine the spacing between pregnancies and subsequent births. It is achieved through the use of contraceptive methods and the treatment of infertility. Despite high levels of awareness about contraceptives in Nigeria with over 90% of men and women knowing at least one modern method the contraceptive prevalence rate remains low. According to the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS, 2018), only 17% of married women aged 15–49 use any form of contraception, with 12% using modern methods. The unmet need for family planning is estimated at 19%, contributing to Nigeria’s persistently high fertility rate and maternal mortality, with the country accounting for 14% of global maternal deaths. A descriptive cross-sectional study was adopted to obtain information on the determinants of family planning choices among women of childbearing age in Sagamu, Ogun State. Awareness of family planning was high among respondents, with 87.0% reporting that they had heard about it, while only 13.0% had not. However, when satisfaction with different contraceptive types was assessed, just over half (55.0%) expressed satisfaction, while 45.0% were dissatisfied. Knowledge about contraceptive mechanisms and side effects appeared limited. Less than half (45.0%) reported understanding how contraceptives work, while 55.0% did not. Familiarity with specific contraceptive methods varied. The majority were familiar with condoms (66.0%), oral contraceptives (64.0%), intrauterine contraceptive devices (63.0%), and permanent methods (68.0%)