26/09/2026
WORLD CONTRACEPTION DAY 2026:
NO BARRIERS, JUST CHOICES.
Golden Drugs Pharmacy calls for informed reproductive-health decisions, equitable access, and professional guidance
UYO, AKWA IBOM — As the world marks World Contraception Day 2026, Golden Drugs Pharmacy is calling for a renewed commitment to ensuring that accurate reproductive-health information and appropriate contraceptive services are accessible to everyone who needs them.
Observed annually on September 26, World Contraception Day provides an important platform to promote awareness, informed decision-making, and access to contraception.
This year’s message, “No Barriers, Just Choices: Contraceptive Access Now,” places particular emphasis on removing the barriers—social, informational, economic, and healthcare-related—that can prevent people from making informed choices.
According to the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, only 15% of currently married women aged 15–49 use a modern contraceptive method, while 21% have an unmet need for family planning.
The survey also indicates that knowledge of contraception is considerably higher than actual use, highlighting an important public-health gap between knowing that contraceptive methods exist and being able to access and use an appropriate method effectively.
Contraception is not simply about preventing unintended pregnancy.
Appropriate family-planning services can help individuals and couples determine if and when they want to have children and the spacing between pregnancies while supporting broader reproductive and family-health goals.
Yet misinformation remains a formidable barrier.
Myths surrounding infertility, menstrual changes, permanent side effects, and the effectiveness of various contraceptive methods can discourage people from seeking appropriate care or cause them to rely on unreliable sources.
“A decision about contraception should never be based on fear, hearsay or social-media misinformation,” Golden Drugs Pharmacy states. “People deserve accurate information, confidential counselling, and the freedom to make informed choices with appropriate professional guidance.”
pharmacies are uniquely positioned within the healthcare system because they are often among the first and most accessible points of contact for members of the public.
Pharmacists can contribute by providing evidence-based information, correcting misconceptions, promoting responsible contraceptive use, identifying situations requiring further clinical assessment, and referring clients appropriately.
At Golden Drugs Pharmacy, the approach is rooted in professionalism, confidentiality, dignity, and patient-centred care.
The pharmacy also emphasizes an important distinction: contraception does not automatically mean protection against sexually transmitted infections.
Condoms remain an important option because, when used correctly and consistently, they provide protection against both unintended pregnancy and many sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
Removing the Barriers
Achieving meaningful contraceptive access requires more than putting products on shelves.
It requires accurate information, affordability, availability, privacy, respectful counselling, reliable supply, and access to appropriate healthcare services.
It also requires communities where people can ask legitimate health questions without shame or stigma.
World Contraception Day, therefore, presents an opportunity for healthcare professionals, policymakers, educators, parents, and community leaders to create an environment where evidence replaces misinformation and informed choice replaces uncertainty.
As a community pharmacy committed to public health, Golden Drugs Pharmacy believes that access to reliable health information is itself an important component of quality healthcare.
This World Contraception Day, we encourage individuals and couples to seek information from qualified healthcare professionals, ask questions, understand their options, and choose contraceptive methods appropriate to their individual circumstances.
Because contraception is not merely about preventing pregnancy.
It is about informed choice, responsible planning, healthy families, and better reproductive health outcomes.
Today, the message is clear:
NO BARRIERS.
JUST CHOICES.
NO MYTHS.
JUST FACTS.
NO GUESSWORK.
JUST PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE.
MEDIA UNIT,
Golden Drugs Pharmacy
