Unplanned Pregnancies More Common Among Married Women in Bauchi – Official
Mirian Gom 
BAUCHI, Nigeria – Unplanned pregnancies are more common among married women than unmarried women in Bauchi State, the Executive Chairman of the state Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, has said.
Mohammed made the disclosure on Saturday during a media briefing in Bauchi to mark the 2026 World Contraception Day.
Represented by the Director of Primary Health, Dr Safiyan Jibrin, the chairman said the observation highlighted the need for greater awareness of contraception and family planning among couples. “It is important to know the realities and indices of what we are celebrating today. Contraception is very important because it enables couples to plan their pregnancies,” he said.
Mohammed said health workers regularly encountered married women seeking care following unplanned pregnancies, adding that some subsequently sought to terminate such pregnancies. “From what we see in hospitals, unplanned pregnancies occur more in marital homes than outside marital homes. Some people come to the hospital seeking to terminate such pregnancies,” he said.
He urged couples to discuss the timing and spacing of pregnancies and encouraged residents to make use of family planning services available at primary and secondary healthcare facilities. “These services are available at facilities not far from where people live, including primary healthcare centres and secondary facilities, and most of these services are free,” he said.
He also warned about the health risks associated with unsafe abortion, noting that abortion is legally restricted in Nigeria except in circumstances permitted under the country’s legal framework, including where it is necessary to preserve the life of the mother.
Also speaking, Pharmacist Nufin-Allah Alhamdul of the Society for Family Health said the organisation was collaborating with the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Board and other partners to promote contraception and family planning.
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Oluwatobi Adu 
