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Lagos
OVERVIEW
Contraception
Laws & Social Stigmas
In Nigeria, you can buy contraception over the counter. While contraception is available, it is not widely used. It is estimated that less than 20% of married women in Nigeria use family planning. An additional 16% want to delay childbirth but are not using any form of contraception. In 2013, the World Bank estimated that 24% of Nigerian young men (ages 15-24) used condoms. As the NYTimes reported, "In a deeply religious country where many Roman Catholics and Muslims oppose contraception, politicians and doctors broach the topic gingerly, and change is slow. Posters promote 'birth spacing,' not 'birth control.' Supplies of contraceptives are often erratic." (Source: Nigeria Tested by Rapid Rise in Population, 2012).
The Nigerian government, however, is very interested in population control. The United Nations has estimated that the country's population could grow to 400 million by 2050. For these reasons, the government has tried to encourage contraceptive use. In 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan instructed Nigerians to limit the number of children in their families and encouraged the use of contraceptives. He also caused controversy by suggesting that Nigeria may want to adopt a policy similar to China's "One Child Policy."
What to Get & Where to Get It
Some common oral contraceptive brands include Microgynon, Lo-Femenal, Nordette, Marvelon, and Yasmin. Some other brands include Logynon, Trinordial,Biphasil, Ovanon and Normovlar.