Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Mar 26;25(1):1150.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-22402-2.

Examining men's attitudes toward family planning in Istanbul, Turkey

Derya Bağlan  1 , Tuğba Yilmaz Esencan  2
Affiliations

Examining men's attitudes toward family planning in Istanbul, Turkey

Derya Bağlan et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Family planning (FP) is a vital component of reproductive health and gender equality, particularly in developing countries. Despite the critical role of men in FP decision-making, their involvement remains limited due to sociocultural factors. This study aims to examine men's attitudes toward FP in Turkey and highlight the need for more inclusive FP strategies.

Methods: A descriptive study was conducted with 400 male participants residing in Istanbul, using the Family Planning Attitude Scale (FPAS), a validated and standardized questionnaire. Stratified sampling was employed to ensure diverse representation of educational backgrounds and sociodemographic factors. The statistical analyses employed descriptive statistics, an independent sample t-test, a one-way ANOVA, and a Pearson correlation analysis.

Results: The mean total score of the Family Planning Attitude Scale was found to be 74.5 ± 30.4, with the mean of the sub-dimensions "attitude towards society" being 31.8 ± 14.3, "attitude towards methods" being 24.8 ± 11.2, and "attitude towards pregnancy" being 17.9 ± 8.0. The total scale score and sub-dimension scores of the participants were found to be at a relatively low level. Significant differences were observed in participants' attitudes towards family planning according to educational level, spouses' educational status, age at early marriage, and having children (p < 0.05). The results indicated that individuals who did not utilize contraceptive methods exhibited more negative attitudes than those who did (M = 84.0 vs. M = 71.1). The criteria that men considered when selecting a family planning method were found to significantly influence their attitudes toward pregnancy (F = 7.02; p = 0.001).

Conclusions: The findings underscore the necessity of increasing men's FP knowledge and access to contraceptive methods. Targeted interventions should focus on improving men's understanding of FP methods to foster shared decision-making between spouses.

Trial registration: Clinical trial number: not applicable. The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in the National Thesis Center at tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezSorguSonucYeni.jsp.

Keywords: Contraception; Family planning; Family planning attitudes; Men’s involvement; Reproductive health.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Before the data collection process, ethics committee approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Istanbul Istanbul Okan University where this research was conducted (Decision No. 16; Date: 09.12.2020). Written permission for the use of the scale was obtained. Written informed consent was obtained from the study participants. The participants entered the study on a voluntary basis. Institutional permission was obtained from Esenpet Arena Astroturf Field, where the research was conducted, for the implementation of the study. Privacy and confidentiality of personal information were protected during the research. Research participants were informed that the research results could be used for scientific purposes. The Helsinki Declaration rules were followed during research. Consent for publication: Necessary institutional permission forms were obtained for the article and publication permission was obtained. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to their inclusion in the study. The informed consent form was designed to provide participants with detailed information about the study, including its purpose, objectives, and duration, as well as the data collection tools and procedures to be used. It also explained the intended use of the collected data, measures to ensure confidentiality and privacy, and the rights of participants, including the right to withdraw from the study at any time without consequence. The form included the researchers’ contact information and ensured that participation was entirely voluntary. Participants were given adequate time to review the form and ask any questions before signing to indicate their consent. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. World Health Organization. Family planning/contraception methods [Internet]. 2020 Nov 9. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/family-planning-contrac...
    1. Wambete SN, Serwaa D, Dzantor EK, Baru A, Poku-Agyemang E, Kukeba MW et al. Determinants for male involvement in family planning and contraception in Nakawa Division, Kampala, Uganda: an urban slum qualitative study. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2024;4(5). Available from: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003207 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Keskin E, Acımış NM, Çay CD, Alkan İD. Learning the knowledge and opinions about family planning methods of men applying to a university hospital urology polyclinic and evaluation of vasectomy preferences. Health Soc. 2022;32(3):89–95.
    1. Yeşilçınar İ, Şahin E, Yavan T. Identification of the Men’s attitudes towards family planning methods. Izmir Kâtip Çelebi Univ J Fac Health Sci. 2022;7(3):577–83.
    1. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Contraceptive use by method, 2019: data booklet [Internet]. 2019. Available from: https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/famil...

LinkOut - more resources