Promoting male involvement in family planning in Vietnam and India: HealthBridge experience

Abstract

In many developing countries, gender inequality contributes to the continued problem of unwanted pregnancies and unmet contraception needs. The majority of family planning programmes in Asia target only women; however, women's lack of decision-making power, even with regard to their own health, hinders their ability to practise family planning. This article describes successes and lessons learned in India and Vietnam from a HealthBridge programme which facilitated male involvement in reproductive health, particularly in family planning and in the use of male-centred contraception. The experience shows that, given the right role models and enabling environments, men are willing to be more fully and positively engaged in reproductive health matters.