Nigeria, Aug. 20 -- On a Thursday morning in March, in the Agbowo area of Ibadan, Oyo State, Bisola* sat outside her home with her child strapped to her back. She continuously bent over to adjust the baby as she read her book for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination.

Bisola is 17, but two years ago, she nearly died giving birth. "I wasn't ready," she said.

At 15, she was in a relationship with a boy of her age. Afraid of becoming pregnant before finishing school, she decided to seek contraception from the nearby Agbowo Primary Health Centre.

Contraception refers to methods used to prevent pregnancy, including condoms, birth control pills, injectable contraceptives, implants and intrauterine devices (IUDs).

It took he...