Reproductive Health Burden Among Females in the Informal Sector in a Nigerian City

Good reproductive health (RH) is essential for national development since women now constitute a significant portion of the labour force in many countries. Efforts to mobilise resources for RH services require data on the prevalent reproductive health problems (RHP). Few Nigerian studies have explored the RH burden borne by women who are economically active. This study aimed to determine the RH burden and  health seeking behaviour among female traders of reproductive age in a Nigerian  City.

A cross-sectional study of 410 female traders aged 15-49 years was conducted at a major market in the city of Ibadan, Nigeria. Data were collected with the aid of a questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test at 5% significance level.

Mean age was 34.6 ± 7.8, 78.2% were married, 58.7% had secondary education and 40% were of middle socioeconomic status. The most commonly reported RHP  were menstrual problems (71.8%), pregnancy related problems (58.2%) and intimate partner violence (48.7%).  Symptoms of sexually transmitted infections (STI) were reported by 30% and 26.6% had experienced unwanted pregnancies of whom 66.3% had procured abortions. The highest proportion of those reporting RHP were in the 30-39 age group (p<0.05). Significantly higher proportions of the women reporting menstrual problems, STIs, delivery complications and intimate partner violence were from the lower socioeconomic group (p<0.05).   A little over half (52.9%) sought health care from orthodox health facilities while others patronised informal and alternative health care providers. The choice of health care provider was most often (72.9%) attributed to the perceived  quality of care provided.

This study demonstrates a high burden of reproductive health problems particularly among younger women. Improving access to good quality reproductive health services is imperative to reduce  the burden of  reproductive health problems among these female traders