Ante-natal care is integral to the success of a pregnancy. However, not all women attend ANC visits due to various factors including:
Limited awareness of ANC services-There lacks sufficient knowledge on the importance of ANC services. This hinders most women from seeking this form of care as they don’t perceive its relevance.
Cultural and religious beliefs- Certain traditions may inhibit women from attending ANC services. For instance, if other women in a household delivered safely at home, then women from the same household may not see the need to obtain such services. They may influence other women not to necessarily seek the services. In addition, certain religious sects, may not allow the utilization of medical services and therefore women from those sects will not seek ANC services.
Influence from family and friends-If other women in the family or friends delivered safely without seeking ANC services, they may influence others not seek the services because they did not require them.
Financial constraints-Even if ANC services may be offered at no charge in certain contexts, there is usually cost of medications and fares which are incurred. This may be discouraging for women with limited financial capacity.
Inaccessibility challenges-The limited number of healthcare facilities hinders women from attending regular ANC visits. The long distances they may have to travel and the waiting in the long queues can be off-putting for others.
Alternatively, there are a number of influencing factors that prompt women to attend ANC visits including;
Fear of complications or poor health-Most of the women attend ANC visits due to the fear of having complications that may harm the baby.
Awareness of the importance of ANC-Other women are well-informed on the importance of ANC services as such, they attend ANC visits frequently to monitor the state of their pregnancy.
The need to have medical check-ups-Some women may attend the visit because they feel the need to know their health status. They may not be certain whether they have a condition that could affect the baby negatively and so may opt to consult for these services.
The need for greater awareness of ante-natal care is important. There needs to be more education on the importance of ANC attendance. Governments should enable free maternal and child health care or reduce the fees incurred to make it more accessible to even women with limited financial resources.