| dc.description.abstract | Family planning programs have traditionally focused on women as the primary beneficiaries and
men have been considered as the silent partners of the services. Research on contraceptive use
and acceptance has mainly concentrated on the methods while few studies have examined the
barriers affecting the individual fertility regulation decisions or the decision making dynamics
within couples. Even though perspectives on male involvement are often rooted in negative
assumption, family planning (FP) is not a woman affair alone as it requires a joint effort of both
wife/ sexual partner to consider success of its use. When effective, it reduces unplanned
pregnancies, reduces fertility rate improving hence the health of both the children women and the
economic status of the family communities and the country. This was a descriptive cross sectional
study that utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection to assess
the knowledge, attitudes and practices on married men who are residing in Nairobi's populous
Kibera slum, aged between 18 years and 49 years on participation in family planning. The study
included only married men regardless of weather they are staying with their wives of not. Laini
Saba one of the nine villages in Kibera slum was purposively selected because it has relatively
higher population density than the other areas and also easily accessible. The estimated
population of the area is 100,000, there are no well defined divisions in Laini Saba however, for
the purpose of this study, it is seen to be in four sections, namely; A, B, C and D, each with a
population of approximately 25,000 ( KDS 2008).Having obtained verbal informed consent from
respondents, Standardized Questionnaires were administered and Interview schedule were used
to capture data from the respondent, whereby the knowledge, attitude and practice on barriers to
participation of men in family planning was collected. Focus group discussion and in-depth
interview guide were used to complement the structured questionnaire, The results indicated that the knowledge of family planning was high and these findings are
consistent with the findings of Kenya Demographic Health survey 2006. Men are more
interested in reproductive health than most people think. Recent surveys and studies seem to
contradict popular views about men's participation and involvement in family planning for
example, that most men know little about contraception, do not want their partners to use it, and
are not interested in planning their families. This study's respondent's knowledge on family
planning was quite high. The mass media was found to be the first and most common sources of
family planning information. Most of the respondents wanted more information on family
planning. Most of the respondents, three-quarters discuss family planning with their wives.
Whoever, men mostly make the decision on family planning. A quarter of the respondents feared
their wives practicing family planning. The fears included; infidelity and lack of respect for
them. More than two-thirds of the respondents said avoiding pregnancy is the responsibility of
women. However, majority of them makes decision on family planning. Almost a quarter of
them does not approve of male contraception, those who approved said the condom was the most
ideal for them. About one-quarter of them are not currently using a method with their wives. The
reasons given include: intend to get another child, Religion, not yet decided; health reasons and
wife disapproves. Slightly less than a third would like their wives to use contraceptives.
Since men's knowledge of and expressed interest in, family planning methods is generally high
in the study area it is therefore recommended that more emphasis is put on men's participation
in reproductive health. Plans to intensify programme outreach and initiate male motivational
campaigns possibly through print, electronic media, barazas, and dramas should be encouraged
and even promotion of condom use possibly through social marketing and distribution at places
appropriate and convenient for men. | en |
