Male Involvement in Family Planning: Challenges and Way Forward

Ademola Adelekan,Elizabeth Edoni,Philomena Omoregie

doi:10.1155/2014/416457

Abstract

Public health officials have advocated the involvement of men as a strategy for addressing the dismal performance of family planning (FP) programmes. This study was therefore designed to explore the challenges and determine way forward to male involvement in FP in Olorunda Local Government Area, Osogbo, Nigeria. This cross-sectional study involved the use of a four-stage sampling technique to select 500 married men and interviewed them using semistructured questionnaire. In addition, four focus group discussions (FGDs) were also conducted. Mean age of respondents was 28.5 ± 10.3 years. Some (37.9%) of the respondents’ spouse had ever used FP and out of which 19.0% were currently using FP. Only 4.8% of the respondents had ever been involved in FP. Identified barriers to male involvement included the perception that FP is woman’s activity and was not their custom to participate in FP programme. More than half of the FGD discussants were of the view that men should provide their wives with transport fare and other resources they may need for FP. The majority of the respondents had never been involved in family planning with their wives. Community sensitization programmes aimed at improving male involvement in FP should be provided by government and nongovernmental agencies.

Highlights

In Nigeria, the 2008 NDHS found that only 10% of married women of reproductive age use contraceptives
Various studies have shown that providing men with information and involving them in counseling sessions can help them to be more supportive of contraceptive use and more aware of the concept of shared decision making [52]
The majority of the respondents had never been involved themselves in family planning (FP) with their wife and this may be attributed to negative perceptions recorded among them

Summary

Introduction

In Nigeria, the 2008 NDHS found that only 10% of married women of reproductive age use contraceptives. This is lower than the current Sub-Saharan Africa average of 17%. Further analysis of the total contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) indicates wide state variations, ranging from 0.3 in Jigawa to 41.6 in Lagos state, as well as zonal variations ranging from 2.7 in the North West to 28.5 in the South West [1]. The majority of married women in Nigeria are not currently using contraceptives and have no intention of doing so in the near future [2]. Contraceptive methods and services are frequently geared toward women, men are often the primary decision makers on family size and their partner’s use of FP methods [3,4,5]. Spousal disagreement can serve as deterrent because women might fear initiating a difficult conversation about FP [6]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion