Best Bets for Accelerating Family Planning in Pakistan: Inducting men, sharing responsibility

Abstract

This brief is part of the Best Bets for Accelerating Family Planning in Pakistan supported by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for Maintaining the Momentum of the FP Taskforce Recommendations in Pakistan and values around fertility and family planning in their communities. 6 In particular, there is a growing emphasis on including adolescent boys in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) programming since the gender perspectives, knowledge, attitudes, and skills they acquire in these years set the stage for their future health and relationships. 7 The specific practices adopted to engage men and boys range from proven practices (e.g., social marketing, outreach with male motivators) and promising interventions (e.g., clinic provision of information and services, outreach through peer educators/mentors, mass media, community dialogue, and life skills-based education), to emerging interventions (e.g., social media, mHealth, hotlines, and engaging religious leaders).* 8

Exploring Cultural Hindrances: A Thorough Examination of Men's Views on Family Planning, Decision-Making Authority, and Use of Contraception

“…Men can stimulate the use of contraceptives, support their partners financially and emotionally, and decide with the partners whether to have a child or not. The Male Involvement in Family Planning Initiative is an exertion in Pakistan that puts an emphasis on getting men actively involved in family planning (Khan & Sathar, 2020).…”

“…However, some guys may feel embarrassed to walk around shops to buy it. Furthermore, people who bought goods from government sources may be hesitated regarding the quality and accessibility of the items from health workers (Khan & Sathar, 2020). It is also necessary to educate men regarding the right ways of using the condoms Stone, Graham, Anstee, Brown, Newby, and Ingham (2018) and also the right combination of this method along with another like emergency contraceptive pills to eliminate the chances of failure.…”

A rural community-based investigation to assess mHealth for family planning advice in district Multan

“…In Pakistan, the fertility rate is 3.6 according to Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) in 2017-18, which indicates that a married woman has almost four kids during her reproductive life. For Pakistan, overpopulation is alarming as economic growth is very low (3) . Family Planning (FP) has an important role not only to reduce fertility rates but also to reduce infant and maternal mortality (4) .…”