Impact of male partner’s awareness and support for contraceptives on female intent to use contraceptives in southeast Nigeria

Abstract

BackgroundDespite the growing body of evidence on use of modern contraceptives among women in sub-Saharan African countries, little is known about the broader context in which female decision-making concerning contraceptive use occurs, particularly the role of their male partners’ awareness and support of modern contraceptives.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey of 2468 pregnant women and their male partners enrolled in the Healthy Beginning Initiative (HBI), an intervention to increase HIV testing among pregnant women in Enugu, southeast Nigeria. The aims of this study were to determine: 1) male partners’ awareness of, and support for, female contraceptive methods, and 2) influence of male partners’ contraceptive awareness and support on pregnant women’s expressed desire to use contraception. We used logistic regression models to examine the association between male partners’ awareness and support of modern contraceptives on their spouses’ desire to use contraceptives.ResultsMen’s awareness of, and support for, use of modern contraceptives were significantly associated with their female partners’ desire to use contraception. A majority of the men who were aware of modern contraceptives (66.5 %) and those who supported their spouses’ use of contraception (72.5 %) had partners who expressed a desire to use contraception. Men who were aware of female contraception were 3 times more likely to have spouses who desired to use contraception (AOR = 3.17, 95 % C.I: 2.70–3.75). In addition, men who showed support for their spouses’ use of contraception were over 5 times more likely to have spouses who indicated a desire to use contraception (AOR = 5.76, 95 % C.I: 4.82–6.88). Living in a household of 5 or more people (AOR = 1.45, 95 % C.I: 1.23–1.72) and residing in an urban area (AOR = 0.81, 95 % C.I: 0.67–0.97) were also significantly associated with women’s expressed desire to use modern contraception.ConclusionMen’s awareness of, and support for, use of modern contraceptives were markedly associated with their spouses’ desire to use contraception. This underscores the need for men’s involvement in programs that seek to address women’s uptake of contraception in low and middle income countries.

Role of community resource persons in improving use of modern family planning methods among women of reproductive age in a rural area in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

“…They were also able to reach other men who considered women inferior and incapable of taking important decisions concerning their lives. Male involvement has been shown to influence the uptake of family planning …”

Navigating Social Networks, Resources, and Neighborhoods: Facilitators of Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Use among Women Released From Jail

“…From family members, friends, and sex partners, to caseworkers, service providers, and support groups, a woman’s social network contributed to her SRH, a finding supported by previous research (Ezeanolue et al, 2015). Some women pointed out that their sex partners also put their SRH at risk by not being supportive of condom use.…”

“…We know, for example, that people in a social network can share information and that communication can enhance health in resource poor communities (Friedman et al, 2007; Mateu-Gelabert et al, 2008). We also know that a vast literature on social networks and contraceptive practices among non-incarcerated men and women reveals that engagement of people in a woman’s network has some positive associations but also may deter safe sex practices and contraceptive use (Ezeanolue et al, 2015; Mboane & Bhatta, 2015). Access to certain resources , such as health insurance, employment, and social services can serve to facilitate or undermine good health, as do connections to community-based organizations , which are community-specific (Freudenberg et al, 2010).…”

Association between Measures of Women’s Empowerment and Use of Modern Contraceptives: An Analysis of Nigeria’s Demographic and Health Surveys

“…Examples of such challenges include geographic barriers and lack of outreach services (30), myths discouraging contraceptive uptake, including the association of contraceptive use with infertility (30) or promiscuity (31), lack of partner support (32), limited knowledge of contraceptives, and missed opportunities for integration of contraceptive use promotion into other existing maternal and child health services (33). …”