Pre-conception care is a crucial component for reproductive-aged women due to its likely contribution to successful pregnancy outcomes. Nonetheless , it rarely receives as much regard from this group especially due to a variety of reasons , namely:
Accessibility challenges-Limited access to health facilities make it hard for women to obtain pre-conception care services. The long distances and few services are discouraging to most. Also, the poor pre-conception care referral systems result in poor referrals or lack thereof of referrals prompting the ineffective delivery of services.
Lack of full planning for pregnancy -Unplanned pregnancies positively correlate with the limited utilization of pre-pregnancy care services.Once a woman is pregnant, the preconception care does not apply as it is intended for those who are planning for a pregnancy.
Lack of awareness-Most women lack awareness on pre-conception care services majorly due to a lack of health educational activities. In addition , most women do not take initiative to research on preconception care matters , and usually their concerns may mainly be centred on becoming pregnant and possible challenges they may encounter during pregnancy, and not necessarily on the pre-conception issues.
Cultural and religious Beliefs-Certain cultural or religious beliefs may not support these services hence preventing access to this care.
Knowledge and experience –For some women, having the knowledge on pre-conception care services is a reason for them not to sought for these services as they perceive that they already possess the knowledge; hence no need. For example, some women who may have studied about pre-conception issues in class, may tend not to sought the service. Alternatively, for other women the awareness of pre-conception services and its importance prompts them to seek the service to know more about how it is applicable to them.
To improve the access to pre-conception care services, infrastructural facilities should be upgraded and the number of health personnel dedicated to this form of care should be increased. Pre-conception care referral systems should be enhanced and improvised guidelines set up to ensure the delivery of efficient services.Proper co-ordination between health care personnel should be integrated. The public should be educated on the importance of pre-conception care services to create awareness on its significance. The involvement of couples should be encouraged and matters that affect even the men should be addressed. Staff should also receive regular training on pre-conception issues so that they maintain quality services.