A senior reproductive health officer at Yei Civil Hospital says cultural norms are preventing women from accessing family planning services that are available in Yei River State.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Laila Apayi said the belief held by the community that the use of family planning services would render women unable to bear children is misleading.

She said instead family planning helps families space their children, ensure birth of healthy children and allow parents to plan for their children’s education.

“We have some mobile health workers educating people on the importance of family planning but men say family planning is against their culture on marriages and child production. Women have the interest to consider using family planning but their husbands have denied them access to family planning services,” she said.

Moses Hakim a 28 year-old man said women are meant to deliver as many children as possible as required by men and society.

“We are in Africa and most especially in South Sudan where we have lost many people. We need to embark on child production to replace the lost ones during the war times. In our tribe if a woman denies producing a child as demanded by the husband she is most likely to leave the house or demanded to fulfill some rituals,” he said.

Apayi called on both men and women to benefit from the on-going mobile awareness campaign to understand the importance of family planning.