The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes Family Planning (FP) as a combination of practices that "allow individuals and couples to anticipate and attain their desired number of children and the spacing and timing of their births". The practice, therefore, enables couples to plan their families in accordance with their needs and resources. Contraceptives are devices and drugs that are used to prevent conception in women or reduce the potency of the men to impregnate female partners during sexual intercourse. They include female and male condoms, vaginal foaming tablets, injectables like Depo-provera, oral contraceptive tablets and implants. Ghana institutionalised family planning practices in its health system and through that, promoted the use of contraceptives. For that reason, organisations like the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have been deeply involved in several activities aimed at promoting the use of contraceptives. However, wrongful use of contraceptives and the inaccessibility of the services are some of the challenges confronting contraceptive users in some parts of the country. These problems were extensively discussed at a workshop on Stock Management of Family Planning (FP) Contraceptives held at Tamale recently where it was established that the problems were prevalent in the Northern Region. The workshop, which was organised by the Northern Sector Action on Awareness Centre (NORSAAC), a gender-based advocacy non-governmental organisation, was attended by midwives, public health nurses, pharmacists, general health practitioners and some representatives of various health-related organisations. It came out that the use of FP methods in the region was not extensive as a result of factors such as cultural, religious, psychological and economic. Culturally, women who decide to practice FP cannot do so without the consent of their husbands and for that reason, some of them hide their contraceptives. According to a midwife at the Vittin Clinic in Tamale, Mrs Cecillia Mahama, many women prefer to go for contraceptives at the residences of midwives, other than the clinic, just because of these cultural and religious barriers. "They are afraid that if they come to the clinic they would be exposed by other women," she stated during the workshop. Also, a number of men refuse to practice FP because of religious beliefs, since they see it as an artificial birth control measure and not in conformity with their religious beliefs. . Psychologically, whilst some people still think of FP as a positive measure that helps couples and individuals to have the number of children they can adequately cater for, others perceive women who opt for contraceptive usage as sexually promiscuous. Lack of contraceptives and the cost of some of the products were also noted as some of the economic.factors that accounted for the low usage of FP methods in the region. Consequently, the Northern Regional Health Promoter, Alhaji Abdul-Rahaman Barik Yakubu, who was a resource person at the workshop, rates the level of contraceptive usage in the Northern Region as between 18 and 20 per cent. According to him, it would have been appropriate for the region to have achieved between 30 and 40 per cent family planning' practice, adding that more efforts need to be made to educate the people on FP methods. In addition, the participants observed that some women were using contraceptives without proper counselling and that sometimes made them choose the wrong product. They noted that that was risky; since it could have adverse effects on the health of users. . For instance, Alhaji Yakubu explained that some contraceptives were suitable for women who already had babies, whilst others were suitable for those who were yet to have babies. " He also mentioned that some contraceptives could further worsen the health status of women who had some medical conditions and diseases like hypertension or diabetes. The participants, therefore, recommended that women who opted for FP methods should undergo the needed screening to determine their health status, which would determine the type of contraceptive that was healthy for them.. The use of wrong tablets or suppositories as vaginal foaming tablets also came up. Health experts say the contraceptive tablets work effectively when they are inserted by women 10 to 15 minutes before sexual intercourse. However, the lead resource person at the workshop, Ms Elizabeth Kopri, who is a District Public Health Nurse for Sawla/Tuna/Kalba, revealed that some unscrupulous men were deceiving their female partners by insetting tablets like paracetamol (a pain killer) and aludrox (for the management of stomach discomfort), which they claimed were vaginal foaming tablets in the women's vagina. "These tablets have resemblance with some of the vaginal foaming tablets and, therefore, the men use these tablets to deceive unsuspecting women, when they (the men) desire sex," she explained. Ms Kopri, therefore, entreated women to acquire contraceptives from health care providers and also check the authenticity of contraceptives that are given to them by the men. She further suggested the need for increased supply of contraceptives to ensure easy accessibility. The participants also underscored the need for dealers in contraceptives to store the products in dry and well-ventilated rooms and keep them away from direct sunlight, water, insecticides, old files and other supplies. They also called for more education on the use of FP methods and entreated dealers in contraceptives to ensure that they keep adequate quantities to meet client demands. Source: Daily Graphic