eISSN: 2576-4470
Submit manuscript...
Letter to Editor Volume 7 Issue 6
Contraceptive use in Cameroon - what can Europe offer?
Ricardo de Albuquerque,1 
Verify Captcha
Regret for the inconvenience: we are taking measures to prevent fraudulent form submissions by extractors and page crawlers. Please type the correct Captcha word to see email ID.
Maria Romana Salazar,1 Susana Paulo Albuquerque2
Verify Captcha
Regret for the inconvenience: we are taking measures to prevent fraudulent form submissions by extractors and page crawlers. Please type the correct Captcha word to see email ID.
1Medical Doctor, Family Health Unit Rainha D Leonor, ACeS Oeste Norte, Portugal
2Medical Doctor, Bom Sucesso Clinic, Portugal
Correspondence: Ricardo Martins de Albuquerque, Family Health Unit Rainha D. Leonor, ACeS Oeste Norte, Rua Etelvino dos Santos, Código Postal 2500-297, Caldas da Rainha, Portugal
Received: November 10, 2023 | Published: November 21, 2023
Citation: Albuquerque R, Salazar MR, Albuquerque SP. Contraceptive use in Cameroon-what can Europe offer?. Sociol Int J. 2023;7(6):279. DOI: 10.15406/sij.2023.07.00358
Introduction
The findings of the survey study titled "Perception Variation on Contraceptive Use in the Bamenda and Buea Communities in Cameroon" underscore the importance of health literacy in terms of reproductive and sexual health. In a country with the 31st highest birth rate globally and an annual growth rate of 2.6%, it becomes imperative to take measures that facilitate better family planning.1,2 It is also noteworthy that while the reported annual cases of HIV/AIDS have been decreasing, certain hotspots, particularly in the southern and southeastern regions, persist. The Bamenda and Buea regions are situated in areas less affected by HIV.3
This cross-sectional study designed and implemented a survey that gathered both quantitative and qualitative data. The sample size was adequate, allowing for interesting conclusions regarding these two regions.
The analysis of results revealed that only one-third of respondents believe that men need contraception. While the majority of respondents were aware that contraception protects against sexually transmitted diseases, only 21% used condoms during sexual encounters. Long-acting contraception methods (intrauterine devices and subcutaneous implants) were the least recognized and utilized, indicating room for education and implementation in healthcare practices. At no point was difficulty in accessing contraceptive methods mentioned. The results align with another study conducted in Ghana, where 60% of the population used contraceptive methods, primarily condoms due to their easy accessibility.1
In conclusion, the authors acknowledge the importance of contraceptive literacy in Cameroon. However, there is an urgent need for investment in training, both for healthcare professionals and the general population. We believe it is relevant to share knowledge and action plans used in Europe regarding reproductive health and family planning, especially as immigration becomes an increasingly important social component.
We also commend the authors for the originality of their study in Cameroon, a topic that is always linked to safe and high-quality clinical practice.
Acknowledgments
None.
Conflicts of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to the present work.
Funding
None.
References
- Niying Roger Mbihbiih, Mbuwir Charlotte. Perception variation on contraceptive use in the Bamenda and Buea communities in Cameroon. Sociol Int J. 2023;7(4):203–209.
- Cameroon natality rate. 2023.
- Sandie AB, Tchatchueng Mbougua JB, Nlend AEN, et al. Hot-spots of HIV infection in Cameroon: a spatial analysis based on demographic and health surveys data. BMC Infect Dis. 2022;22:334.
©2023 Albuquerque, et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.