Most Zimbabwean Men Approve of Family Planning, But Believe It Should Wait Until After the First Birth

Abstract

This article reports on the findings of a study of 711 males from 11 representative regions from the 1988 Zimbabwe Male Fertility Survey (ZMFS). It is reported that the study found that married men are likely to know about contraceptives and have used them at some time with approval. Most believed that women should use a contraceptive after their 1st birth (62% of those approving of family planning); that men should make the couples decision about contraceptive use (59% of ever used family planning); and womens responsibility to obtain family planning information and methods (60% of the sample). 50% of the sample obtained the methods. 78% of respondents whether alone or in conjunction with their wife made the decision to use family planning. Family planning was used primarily for birth spacing (53% of the sample and 66% of those ever having used a contraceptive). The demographic profile is given. 79% knew of at least 1 contraceptive method (unprompted) with the pill mentioned 75% of the time the condom 38% and injectables 20%. 98% knew 1 contraceptive method based on prompted and unprompted inquiries. Methods least known were vaginal foam male sterilization and the diaphragm. 80% of the sample had ever used a contraceptive. Those who had used a method were likely to be older more educated and living in an urban area. 12% used a contraceptive to limit births. 7% said birth spacing and birth control as reasons for contraceptive use. 6% were using for economic reasons; 2% did not specify a reason; and <1% used a method to protect their wifes health. 17% did not approve of contraceptive methods or were undecided. Urban men were more likely to approve of family planning (19% versus 80%). Men with some secondary education or higher were more likely to approve (93% versus 80%). 57% talked with wives in the past year about family planning. Men with some secondary education or more and urban men talked with their wives to a greater extent about family planning (81% versus 74%) than men with an elementary education and rural men (48% and 50%). The ideal family size was 4.6 children. Urban men had a smaller ideal size than rural men (3.9 versus 5.0 children). Respondents from rural communal farms wanted more children than from commercial farms (5.3 versus 4.6). Age had no bearing on ideal size. High contraceptive use and fertility and the ideal smaller than the total fertility rate leads to many interpretations of which one is the need for more family planning.