Abstract:
The focus of the study was on challenges faced by women of reproductive age when
accessing family planning services in Maseru. The research is qualitative in nature as it
sought to enable the respondents to express themselves without many interruptions.
The socio-economic as well as cultural and health factors that influence women’s
access to contraceptives have been documented in the study. The study findings
revealed that there is high knowledge of contraceptive use among women.
Respondents used mostly pills and injections. The health-related effects of using these
contraceptives such as weight-gain, heavy menstrual flow and nausea resulted into
some women no longer seeking family planning services even when they had confided
in the healthcare worker about their problems.
Contraceptives are accessed freely in public hospitals and clinics in Lesotho but young
women in the study stated that they often buy expensive contraceptives in private clinics
and hospitals to avoid humiliating questions that health workers in public hospitals and
clinics ask them. However, married women are treated better in healthcare facilities
when they seek contraceptives.
COVID-19 also became a challenge for women to access contraceptives in Lesotho due
to the strict lockdowns that were put in place by the government to curb the spread of
the disease in 2020. This resulted in movement restrictions and when some women did
manage to visit hospitals to get contraceptives, security officials would often harass
them which influenced them to sometimes not get their contraceptive package. Long
queues and congestion in hospitals made some women not to seek services as they
feared contracting COVID-19. Shortage on contraception method of choice also made
some women to abandon use of contraceptives. With these various challenges, the
researcher advices the government to make contraceptive access adolescent-youth
friendly so that young people receiving the services express themselves freely instead
of feeling prejudiced. Access to family planning services should be there all the time
even in pandemics like that of COVID-19. COVID-19 should, in fact, serve as a lesson
in strengthening access. Contraceptive access and, delivery should not be hampered
and, the policy makers, health rights activists should keep on reminding the government
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and relevant stakeholders in the delivery of family planning services to prioritize the
delivery of family planning, and should also not leave men behind in this discourse.
They have a crucial role in the drive for women to access family planning services
effectively
