TOLA – 17 years
When she turned 17 years old, Tola’s body started behaving like it belonged to someone else. First, her menstrual cycle became unmanageable. She was always fatigued and listless during her period. She also started noticing that she was thinking of boys in a way that made her blush. She was thinking about sex more than she was comfortable with. Her body, she noticed, was also changing; her breasts becoming fuller, and her hips widening. She had nobody to talk to about these changes, certainly not her parents who were farmers and were always away working in the fields. She wanted answers, to take control of her sexual health but she wasn’t sure how to.
One day Tola was approached by a pair of female mobilizers from Agbado PHC which was a known facility situated in her community. “They said they were keen to talk to girls like me about Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) services.” She says.
The mobilizers explained the importance of Adolescent and Sexual Reproductive Health (ASRH) services and how these services can help young people make informed decisions about their reproductive health. They issued her a referral card. “I was anxious at first, but then I went to the facility where I met a beautiful young lady who introduced me to the 9ja girls’ space.” There she was taken through her life-map journey about setting goals and other SRH components. The provider also discussed the use of contraceptives and why they were important in achieving goals. “I was comfortable in the space to bring up the topic of my menstrual cycles that was bothering me.” She says. “But even better, I learned that I was at risk of having an unintended pregnancy, something I couldn’t allow to happen because I was still in school and if that happened it would cause great financial difficulties for my parents who were merely farmers.”
She was guided through her contraceptive options. “I learned about the Sayana Press which is administered once every three months. “She says. The provider further went ahead to invite her to the Love Life and Health (LLH) classes where she would learn more about her body, life, and love. She took the Sayana Press because “it didn’t require me to visit the health center frequently, and it was easy to use.” She says. She says she feels more in control of her own body and has more confidence in her decisions. “I now have the freedom to plan my life the way I want to and achieve my goals.”