Background: Family planning has clearly been a major public health success as evidenced by substantial fertility decline and reductions in maternal mortality in countries with high contraceptive prevalence rates. Nigerian governments have continued to expand the scope and improve accessibility and availability of contraceptive commodities to improve uptake, giving the numerous benefits. Objective: To determine the trends in contraceptive usage and the preferred method among clients visiting the family planning clinic of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Nigeria. Method: It was a cross sectional study of all clients who accepted contraceptive methods at the UPTH, between 1st January 2000 and 31st December, 2015. Results: During the period, a total of 9190 clients accepted contraceptive methods, and 40,334 women were delivered in the maternity unit giving an acceptance rate of 1 in 4 deliveries or 22.8%. The acceptors of modern contraceptives increased steadily from 491 clients in 2001 to a peak in 2008 with 1477 clients and sharply declined to 381 in 2009 before increasing gradually again to 519 clients in 2015. The most commonly used method was the male condom by 3194 clients (37.9%), followed by injectables, which was accepted by 2185 clients (23.8%) while 1752 clients (19.1%) used the IUD. Implant contraceptive was used by 915 clients (9.9%), followed by oral contraceptive pills used by 547 (6.0%). Female sterilization was the least commonly used method by 302 clients (3.3%). There was no vasectomy over the 15 years period. Conclusion: Contraceptive trend in Port Harcourt has an ambivalent acceptance pattern. Although male condom and injectable contraceptives are the most commonly used method over time, the subdermal implants are increasingly becoming very popular in recent time. Female sterilization remains the least common method with no record of vasectomy.
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