“I want to further my education after completing secondary school. This is why I am using contraceptives. It has given me peace of mind.”
Hanna is an 18-year-old young woman living in a rural village in Taraba State, Nigeria, who has big dreams for her future and opted for a contraceptive service with MSI Nigeria to help her get there.
When girls can access a quality education, evidence shows that they are better able to pursue a career of their choosing and drive positive change in their communities. However, analysis from MSI has found that every year, up to four million girls in sub-Saharan Africa are forced to drop out of school due to teenage pregnancy.
To avoid this, Hanna, who is currently in secondary school, accessed contraception with MSI, to support her in having the best chance of continuing her studies beyond school.
“I chose to begin using family planning, because I’m still a student and want to avoid unintended pregnancy,” Hanna shared. “I would love to further my education after completing secondary school. This is why I chose a family planning method.”
Globally, teenage girls experience greater challenges in accessing sexual and reproductive health and rights. Every year, an estimated 21 million adolescents become pregnant. This can be dangerous for adolescents, as complications during pregnancy and childbirth continue to be the leading cause of death for adolescent girls aged 15-19 globally, with teenage girls at higher risk of unsafe abortion.
“I don’t want to get pregnant and have to seek an unsafe abortion,” Hanna shared. “There was a girl who became pregnant by a guy who works in Bayelsa [another Nigeria village]. She wanted to keep it from her parents so sought out an unsafe abortion and sadly died from complications.”
Fortunately, MSI Nigeria was able to make the journey to Hanna’s remote village to provide the contraception she sought to make choices about her own body and her own future.
“Access to contraception is very helpful, because you can take a break and when you want to give birth, you can come off it,” Hanna shared. “Thank you for the assistance you have given to us. It has given me peace of mind.”