An evaluation of male contraceptive acceptance in rural Ghana
- PMID: 715833
An evaluation of male contraceptive acceptance in rural Ghana
Abstract
To evaluate the effect of male contraceptive acceptance on fertility, the Danfa Family Planning Project in rural Ghana studied a sample of its male family planning acceptors. The findings show that half of the survey respondents accepted foam for use by their partners and half accepted the condom. The continuation rate (69 percent at 12 months) and use-effectiveness rate (80 percent at 12 months) reported by men were higher than those reported by women program acceptors. It is felt that men can play a significant role in affecting fertility through their influence on a couple's choosing to use contraception and as a result of their motivation to obtain contraception and see that it is used. It is urged that increasing emphasis be placed on providing family planning services for men in African programs.
PIP: Report of a follow-up survey of male family planning acceptors in the Danfa program. A sample of 100 men from each of 3 project areas (representing 47% of all male acceptors as of July 1974) was obtained, with 227 acceptors ultimately interviewed. A sample of female acceptors was also interviewed, using a similar questionnaire. 84% of the males were between ages 20-44. The mean age for the sampled females was 29. 19% of the males and 5% of the females reported ever using contraception before accepting it from the program. 80% of males were literate and 39% of females, the importance of literacy for males further underscored by the fact that while only 36% of their spouses were literate, the female respondents claimed 72% of their spouses to be literate. Controlling for other factors, religion was also important, with Christians most likely to accept family planning. 70% of male acceptors were married at the time of acceptance and 25% of those unmarried at time of acceptance were married by the time of the interview. 76% had at least one living child. 55% of the married men and 44% of the unmarried men claimed to have only one sexual partner. 78% of married men claimed to have discussed family planning with their wives. 66% reported that they used the accepted method only with their wives, 20% only with the other partner, and 12% with both partners. The most common reason given for acceptance was the health of their children. 52% of the male acceptors had first learned about family planning from the project health staff and 24% through mass media. 64% of the male respondents reported having tried to persuade another to accept family planning, compared with 40% of the females. Half of the men had chosen the condom, and half contraceptive foam for their partners. 16% of foam and 6% of condom acceptors had never used the methods. The large number of foam acceptors and users indicates the important role of males in acceptance of family planning. Self reporting indicated 81% of acceptors used their methods correctly. Continuation rates were higher for the male acceptors surveyed than for the women, which may be a reflection of their extra- and pre-marital relations. Among those not continuing, the major reasons were the desire for a child (28%) and inability to get supplies (18%). Accidental pregnancies were fewer among the partners of the male respondents than among women in the project in general, and the extended use-effectiveness was greater. These again may reflect the extra-marital and pre-marital sexual activities.