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Read moreDespite high awareness of contraceptives in Nigeria, modern contraceptive prevalence remains low (12–16%), with significant religious and regional variations. Christians in Southern Nigeria, particularly Lagos State, demonstrate higher contraceptive uptake (31.3%) compared with national averages, yet the role of family planning with sexual orientations in shaping contraceptive decisions among Christian couples remains underexplored. This study examined the association between family planning with sexual orientations and contraceptive use among Christians in Lagos State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed with 250 married Christian couples (500 individuals) recruited from 15 churches across three senatorial districts in Lagos State using multistage sampling. family planning with sexual orientations was measured with an 8-item researcher-developed family planning with sexual orientations Scale, while contraceptive use was assessed via self-reported current use of modern methods (pills, injectables, implants, intrauterine devices, condoms, male/female sterilisation) and traditional methods (withdrawal, fertility awareness, abstinence). Data were analysed using chi-square tests, Pearson correlation, and multiple logistic regression, controlling for age, gender, education, wealth index, number of living children, and church attendance frequency. Overall, 34.2% of participants reported current use of modern contraceptives, with condoms (18.6%), pills (9.4%), and injectables (4.2%) being the most common methods. Family planning with sexual orientations was significantly higher among modern contraceptive users (M = 6.1, SD = 1.4) than non-users (M = 5.2, SD = 1.7; t = 7.82, p < 0.001). Logistic regression showed that family planning with sexual orientations significantly predicted modern contraceptive use (adjusted OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.28–1.58, p < 0.001), such that each one-unit increase in family planning with sexual orientations was associated with 42% higher odds of modern contraceptive use, controlling for covariates. Other significant predictors included tertiary education (aOR = 2.15, p < 0.01), wealth index (richest vs. poorest: aOR = 2.67, p < 0.001), and number of living children (≥4 vs. 0–2: aOR = 3.12, p < 0.001). Church attendance frequency was not significantly associated with contraceptive use (p = 0.34). Family planning with sexual orientations is a significant, independent predictor of modern contraceptive use among Christians in Lagos State, beyond the effects of education, wealth, and fertility preferences. Findings support integrating evidence-based sexual and reproductive health education into church-based premarital and marital counselling programmes to enhance informed contraceptive decision-making among Christian couples.
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[23]. 1Correspondence: [Jegede Oluwaseun O.], School of Postgraduate Studies, Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. Email: revsejeg.u@gmail.com
[24]. Conflict of Interest: The author declares no conflict of interest.
[25]. Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency.
[26]. Acknowledgements: The author wants to thank the church leaders and participants in Lagos State for their cooperation and willingness to share their experiences.
Family Planning with Sexual Orientations; Contraceptive Use; Modern Contraception; Reproductive Health; CrossSectional Study.
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