Fertility-Limiting Behavior and Contraceptive Choice Among Men in Nepal

Abstract

DATA AND METHODSUsually, data on family planning and family formation are derived from women's responses to survey questionnaires. Since 1990, the DHS has been collecting nationally representative data from men on a range of reproductive health issues, including contraceptive use and fertility behavior. However, these data have received little attention compared with data collected from women, possibly because men are thought to give less reliable information, especially regarding their attitudes and behaviors related to family planning.The 2001 DHS was the first Nepal survey to collect data from a nationally representative sample of men. The male data set includes 2,261 ever-married males aged 15-59, and the female data set includes 8,726 ever-married females aged 15-49. The matched couple data set (N=1,858) comprises currently married individuals from both of these samples, and so some data that are missing for husbands can be ascertained from their wives' responses. In the couple data set, the average age at first marriage was 19.9 years (standard deviation, 3.9 years) for men and 16.5 years (standard deviation, 2.8 years) for women.Of these married men, we excluded 188 who did not have any living children at the time of the survey, 18 who were younger than 20 (of whom only two wanted no more children), 431 who wanted to have more children, 89 whose wives were pregnant, 71 whose wives had experienced menopause or hysterectomy and 20 whose wives were infecund or subfecund. (We excluded men whose wives were pregnant or unable to bear more children because it was difficult to determine whether these men's responses regarding their own fertility intentions accounted for the current status of their wives.) Thus, our sample included 1,041 men aged 20 or older who had at least one living child and said that they wanted no more children.* The dependent variable in our analysis was contraceptive use as reported by Nepalese men, coded into five categories: female sterilization, male sterilization, condoms, other temporary method and nonuse. The other temporary method category consisted of the injectable, periodic abstinence and withdrawal, which constituted about three-quarters of this category, and the pill and the IUD, which made up the remainder. Men's responses regarding contraceptive use were considered reliable because they usually decide which method to use. However, it is possible that wives use methods such as the injectable without the knowledge of their husbands because of fear of opposition from them or other family members. In the couple data set, 98% of permanent method use was reported consistently by both husbands and wives, whereas there were substantial inconsistencies in reporting the use of tempo-

Influence of age on the usage of family planning methods by Turkish married men living in southeastern Turkey

“…These results are in line with other studies conducted in other countries (10,16,23,28). Men who do not want to have any more children are likely to choose permanent methods only after they have 2 living sons (29). In certain literature, it is indicated that younger men were more likely than older men to have knowledge of a family planning method.…”

“…In the literature, it is well established that the use of contraception has increased with education (10,11,16,23,(26)(27)(28)(29)(30) and that being exposed to education and counseling have a significant effect on the behavior of an individual. A lower general educational level had a remarkable effect on reproductive health knowledge of soldiers from the eastern region of Turkey (26).…”

Risk Factors and Barriers to Male Involvement in the Choice of Family Planning Methods in the Buea Health District, South West Region, Cameroon: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Semi-Urban Area

“…However, the studies reviewed did not report this association; rather, they reported the current number of living children and the desire for more than five children to be associated with men's participation in FP. 3,7,11,15,18,19 While men's marital status, their partner's age, the current number of living children and the desire for 5 children and more determined their level of involvement in the bivariate analysis, these same factors were not determining when the other factors were taken into account in the multivariate analysis.…”

“…The situation is not made any better by fear of side effects of female methods. To these inhibiting factors must be added poor access to family planning services, 7 men-unfriendly FP services, unwelcoming healthcare workers, preference for large family sizes, religious sanctions, lack of finances, and long waiting times at FP clinics. 6 The aim of this study is twofold: 1) to determine the risk factors associated with male involvement in the choice of Family Planning methods; and 2) to describe the perceived barriers to male involvement in family planning.…”

Contraception usage among young adult men in a developing country

“…Hence, the opposition of females or wives to the use of condoms is also embedded in this study, as they would question the practices of the male partner or their fidelity in the relationship. Therefore policies that are geared towards male reproductive attitudes cannot cease with increased condom usage, as is evident in this study as well as others, 18,[30][31][32][33] because clearly the current reproductive health programs are not reaching all the men of Jamaica.…”