Family planning in rural Nigeria: a study among men.

Abstract

Too few family planning studies in Nigeria have focused on the men This community-based study determined the level of knowledge, attitude to and the practice of contraception among married men in a rural community in south west Nigeria. The study also identified socio-demographic and other variables associated with male contraceptive use. Knowledge was high for any family planning and any modern family planning method (90.9% and 73.3%). High level of knowledge alone was however not sufficient enough to promote a high level of use. The men's attitude was generally positive. Nearly half (47.3%) of respondents reported that they made family planning decisions with their spouses, though the larger majority thought it was the wife's responsibility to go for family planning. Among the men, 55.7% had ever used, while 26.7% were current users of any method. High level of formal education and duration of marriage (10 years and longer) were predictive of ever-used of a FP method while having fewer than 5 surviving children negatively affected the use of FP methods. Current users of any family planning method were likely to be men with high formal education and with two or more surviving female children. The condom was the most utilized method but traditional methods of unproven efficacy, some of which were hitherto thought to be used only by women , were also widely used. Current use of contraceptives by male s in this rural community is lower than what is generally reported for the country and the southwest region. It could be further improved when child survival is assured and when there is an improvement.