A 10-year review of progestogen-only injectable contraceptive use at a private facility in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria

Background: Progestogen-only injectable contraceptives are affordable, long acting, and reversible. It can be administered by a trained nonmedical staff and does not require storage, making it specifically suitable for use in developing countries where contraceptive prevalence rates are low. Aim: This study aims to determine the sociodemographic characteristics of clients at the family planning clinic who accepted progestogen-only injectable contraceptives, their side effects, and discontinuation rates. Materials and Methods: In the retrospective study, clients who accepted and used progestogen-only injectable contraceptives at the Family Planning Clinic for over 10 years between August 1, 2008, and July 31, 2018, had their data collected using a structured pro forma. Results: Of the 197 clients who used progestogen-only injectable contraceptives during the study period, medical records of 181 (91.8%) of them were available and retrieved, while medical records of 16 were missing. The total number of contraceptive users during the same period was 1690, giving an acceptance rate of 11.7% for progestogen-only injectable contraceptives. The mean age of clients was 32.8 ± 6.2 years. Most (34.8%) of the participants were in the age group of 30–34 years. Most (95.6%) of the participants were married and 92.2% had at least a secondary school education. The majority (55.8%) of the participants used it for child spacing, while 44.2% used it to limit their families. The discontinuation rate at 1 year was 72.4%. Of the 181 participants, 65 (35.9%) reported side effects. The most common side effect was menstrual disorders (30.9%). No pregnancy was reported during use. Conclusion: Progestogen-only injectable contraceptives are effective and safe. Sociodemographic characteristics of users, side effects, and efficacy are similar to other local studies. However, the acceptance rate is low and the discontinuation rate at 1 year is higher than in other centers.