Factors Influencing Male Participation In Family Planning: A Case Of Kutus Township In Kirinyaga County In Kenya
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to analyse the factors that influence male participation in the
study area was Kirinyaga Central District. The objectives of the study were to find out the
extent to which available male FP methods, FP cost, male perception and traditional belief
influence male participation in FP. The study used a descriptive Survey descriptive decision
which helps to gather information about these factors. The target population was sexually
active men and women above 20 years of age of Kirinyaga central district. A simple size of
200 respondents which composed men, women and health workers was selected using
stratified random sampling technique. Questionnaire and interview guide were used to collect
the required data. A pilot study was carried out with twenty respondents to ensure the validity
and reliability of the research instrument. The questionnaires and interview report were
collected and the data analysed and a descriptive statistic such as a mean and percentages
were generated in form of tables. The study findings reveal that the available FP methods do
influence in male involvement in FP to some extent. 70% of the respondent agreed that
available male method lacked diversity and 57% of women were of the opinion that the
methods were inadequate. The research findings did demonstrate the element of cost as a
barrier to the uptake of FP among men. 77% of the respondents were of the opinion that the
available family planning methods for men are too expensive and unaffordable.82% of the
respondent held the opinion that men who use family planning are disrespected in the society.
There was adequate awareness of FP and its importance both among men and women. Range
of family planning methods available to men is limited, and this as a result inhibits men’s
capacity to participate in fertility regulation. Greene (2005).There however seem to be higher
awareness of female FP methods compared to the male FP methods. This raises the issue of
diversity for FP methods for men in influencing uptake of the same. All these men who stated
that they use FP methods were using the male condom as opposed to women who were using
varied methods such as the pill, injectable and implants. It can be concluded that the key
barrier to uptake of FP by men was mere attitude or negative perceptions towards FP by men
and the belief that FP as a woman’s affair because they are the ones who get pregnant. To this
effect, it was noted that most male respondents said their spouses are on FP while most
women respondents stated that their spouses were not using any FP methods. Some of the
perceptions that lead to low uptake of FP among men are the perception that male FP
methods are rare and not convenient/effective.Male involvement in FP has a positive impact
in the general wellbeing of the family and hence the following measures should be taken in
order to increase participation: Kenyan government and the WHO should strive to introduce
new male FP methods in order to increase diversity. Enhancement of knowledge and
awareness on the need of male participation .
Publisher
University of Nairobi
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United StatesUsage Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/Collections
- Faculty of Education (FEd) [5980]
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