“You should not use contraceptives if you have never had a child.” This is a statement many unmarried women and girls hear far more often than any information about reproductive health throughout their adolescence and adulthood.

It’s a message frequently echoed by peers, friends, and even religious leaders, overshadowing crucial conversations about their health and well-being.

This statement alone has caused a lot of fear and shame that in return has led to unplanned teen pregnancies, increased HIV infections and unsafe abortions which in some incidences have resulted to deaths due to complications that are encountered during the process.

Many sexually active women have the desire to avoid, prevent and others to delay pregnancies, but are confronted with fear-based societal opinions that associates the use of contraceptives with infertility, Cancer of reproductive health, decreased libido among other unsubstantiated claims.

According to Dr Charles Muteshi a consultant in reproductive medicine and surgery from Oxford University, contraceptives do not cause infertility or cancer. Neither do they affect a woman`s sexual desire.

“Different contraceptives work in various ways to prevent pregnancies—condoms prevent sperms from entering the vagina, while hormonal contraceptives like Depo-Provera, pills implant and hormonal intrauterine device (IUDs) alters progesterone level,” said Muteshi.

He further stated that women`s bodies are different and that is the reason some experience side effects when using certain contraceptives while others encounter poor services and misinformation from unqualified doctors.

Time for action

“Women often find comfort in openly talking with one another about health and life concerns, including marriages, relationships and contraception hence health programmes should take this opportunity to foster peer-to-peer discussions and information on contraception,” said Muteshi.

According to Family Planning 2030, Kenya has made progress in family planning uptake, with the modern contraceptives prevalence rate increasing from 39 per cent in 2014 to 58 per cent in 2021. Yet adolescents and young women, particularly from marginalised groups are often left out.

Dr Muteshi said that Kenya should implement the self-care guidelines that were first consolidated by World Health Organization (WHO) in the year 2019.

“There should be more allocation for family planning interventions and options. Pharmacists, community health promoters and youths play a very vital role in the promotion of contraception and should therefore be properly trained,” said Muteshi.

He said that in order to demystify contraceptives myths, stakeholders and relevant authorities should consider investing in programmes that focuses on women’s and girls` needs and lived realities.