Resumption of Sexual Intercourse and Family Planning use Among Postpartum Women Attending Infant Welfare Clinics in Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria - A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND

Women may resume sexual intercourse anytime during the postpartum period with little consideration for contraceptive.

AIM

To determine factors associated with resumption of sexual activity, explore FP practices and influence on sexual resumption among postpartum women.

SUBJECT AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study of postpartum women at the infant-welfare clinic of Adeoyo Maternity Teaching Hospital and University College Hospital, Ibadan between July and October, 2014. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, contraceptive use, and sexual behavior were collected using interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaires. Associations were tested using Chi-square tests and Logistic regression analysis for crude and adjusted odds ratios. Level of significance was 5%.

RESULTS

There were 256 women with mean age of 29.1 years(SD = 5.2). Majority had tertiary education; were currently married in monogamous marriages and had 1-3 children. Ninety-one(38.7%) had started sexual intercourse at the time of interview. Among those who had not started having sex, about a quarter (24.2%) gave no reason and 20% felt it was too early. The fear of pain and child-spacing were reasons given by 5.7% and 5.1% respectively. Current use of contraceptive method was 20.7% among women and 36.4% among women who had resumed sexual activity. On multiple logistic regression, Family-planning users were about five times more-likely than non-users to resume sexual intercourse (Odd Ratio = 5.66, 95% Confidence interval = 2.61 - 12.28).

CONCLUSION

Women commonly resume sexual intercourse during postpartum period without contraceptive use. Interventions during antenatal and early postnatal periods are needed to improve early adoption of Family planning by postpartum women.