Contraception and Reproductive Medicine (Mar 2023)

Women’s ability to negotiate safer sex with partners by contraceptive status among a nationally representative sample of married women in Nigeria

  • Bola Lukman Solanke,
  • Joseph Ayodeji Kupoluyi,
  • Abayomi Folorunso Awoleye,
  • Olusola Esther Adewole,
  • Oyeyemi Bukola Babalola

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40834-023-00214-2
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 1
pp. 1 – 14

Abstract

Read online

Plain English Summary Existing studies established that safer sex negotiation influences contraceptive use, and women who are able to negotiate safer sex were expected to be contraceptive users. However, it is not certain that all contraceptive users have the ability to negotiate safer sex. Likewise, there is no evidence that all non-users are not able to negotiate safer sex with partners. The objectives of the study were to assess the prevalence of women’s ability to negotiate safer sex and to examine the determinants of women’s ability to negotiate safer sex among contraceptive users and non-users. The comparative cross-sectional research design was adopted. Data were extracted from the most recent Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. Samples of contraceptive users and non-users were analyzed in the study. The outcome variable was women’s ability to negotiate safer sex with partners. The explanatory variables examined are eight socio-demographic characteristics (age, child marriage, education, parity, media exposure, religion, work status, and experience of female genital mutilation), six relational characteristics (healthcare autonomy, financial autonomy, household wealth quintile, partners’ education, ownership of assets, and type of marriage). Attitude to wife-beating, male controlling behavior, place of residence, and geo-political zone of residence were included as control variables. Findings showed a higher ability to negotiate safer sex among contraceptive users. There were differences in the determinants of safer sex negotiation among contraceptive users and non-users. The study concluded that the ability to negotiate safer sex and its determinants differs among contraceptive users and non-users. It was suggested that while existing strategies may continue to focus on women not using contraceptives, new strategies promoting reproductive autonomy are required among contraceptive users.

Keywords