The Knowledge And Attitudes Of Men Towards Family Planning
ABSTRACT
Selection of men’s contraceptive method is an important service to be rendered so that men should be aware that they are to be integrated into family planning services. So this research attempts to identify knowledge and attitude of men towards family planning in Ibiaku Clan in Mkpat Enin L.G.A. of Akwa Ibom State.
To achieve this aim, this study therefore attempts to identify the factors that influence men’s acceptance rate to family planning so that steps to improve the standard can be taken. The research setting chosen for this study was Ibiaku Clan in Mkpat Enin L.G.A. of Akwa Ibom State. The target population was Ikot Ebah, Ibekwe Akpanya, and Ikot Itina communities majority of whom were literates.
Hand delivery method was used in the distribution of the questionnaire to literate while oral interview was conducted for the illiterate respondents. One hundred and fifty copies of questionnaire were distributed to the respondents. One hundred and forty returned rate was ensured. From the findings of the data analysed, it was observed that: men have knowledge on the types and method of family planning;
that men have positive attitude towards family planning; and that, there is no special factors that militate men against the acceptance of family planning services. Recommendations were made to improve the knowledge and attitude of men towards family planning through seminars and workshops so as to integrate them into family planning services.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
To some people, family planning means abortion. To quite many others, it is synonymous with population control. According to World Health Organization (2006), family planning is a way of thinking and living that is adopted voluntarily upon the basis of knowledge, attitude and responsible decision by individuals and couples in order to promote health and welfare of the family group and thus contribute effectively to the socioeconomic development of the country.
According to Dennis (2011), it is a means of having children that are wanted, spacing according to choice and timed to fit with life decisions such as marriage or a break in career. Family planning also known as birth control of contraception is a deliberate prevention of pregnancy, using any of the several approved methods.
According to Oxford Advance Learner’s Dictionary, a man is an adult male human being. Historically, human reproduction has been a private affair. Men lived for thousand of years and maintained this tradition without much harm to him or his environment.
According to the full text of the National Policy on Population (2003), as a result of environmental factors, culture and other factors, men allowed his will, purpose and plans, thus he has increased to the extent that at the rate population is going, if not checked, the resources available will not meet up with the rising population. Invariably, men have tried to interfere actively in the procreative process, but reproduction is a vital phenomenon for any living community including man.
Hatcher (2005) in his book titled “Contraceptive Technology of International Edition” said that “great rate of mortality in women of then result from abortion due to unwanted pregnancies and complications of pregnancy among the married and unmarried women.
Based on these factors, the Federal and State Government in collaboration withy the World Health Organization (WHO) mapped out strategies and integrated family planning into the health care system. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been of tremendous assistance in sponsoring and supplying materials of family planning.
There are man factors militating against the success of family planning practice in our country today. In order to make this practice more effective and realistic, modern science has device means and methods to help in population check and control by introducing various methods of contraception for males and females.
The Knowledge And Attitudes Of Men Towards Family Planning
- Condom: Which is made up of latex rubber placed on the men’s erected penis before intercourse in order to catch semen and keeps it from entering the women’s uterus. Advantages of condom according to International Planned Parenthood Federation (2005) include prevention against sexually transmitted diseases, simply to use, very effective and that it reduces the risk of unwanted pregnancies. Condom is effective in that it block the vaginal orifice thereby preventing sperm from gaining entrance into the vagina; if used correctly it effectiveness is 98% (Gallen, 2006).
- Withdrawal (Coitus Interruptus): This is a traditional method in which ejaculation occurs completely away from the vagina and external genitalia of the female. Advantages include that it is available at no cost. It involves no chemical and it requires no device. It is effective in that ejaculation occurs outside the female genitalia. This prevents the sperm from entering the women’s uterus and the effectiveness rate is 72%. According to International Planned Parenthood Federation (2005).
- Vasectomy: This is on incision done on the back of the scrotum in order to block the vas deference. It advantages are: It gives a life-time coverage, it is irreversible and more effective. It prevents passage of sperm to the urethra and is 99% effective (Stewat, 2006).
- Abstinence: This is usually defined as refraining from penis-in-vagina intercourse (Guest, 2001). Contraceptive technology. It is of advantages in that it offers protection from sexually transmitted diseases and it is 99% effective.
From this methods and other mentioned, the men can make a choice of a contraceptive method thus preventing unwanted pregnancies.
The importance of family planning to men:
- It increase the men’s financial potentials
- Increase life span
- Decrease anxiety and tiredness
- There is love and care for the family.
The importance of family planning to families
- General improvement of the health status of the family members.
- There is love and peace in the family.
To the communities
- It reduces the role of crime in the community.
- Reduces unemployment in the community.
- Provision of infrastructure for education.
To the Nation
Government can provide adequate food, housing, education, employment, electricity and water supply to all the communities.
From this, the objectives of family planning are:
- To encourage the building of healthy family.
- To protect the health of mothers and children.
- To help parents understand the value of having only those children for whom they can provide adequate love, good food, clothing, education and housing.
- To advice and help those who want children but have not gotten them.
- To enable women to take more active part in affairs of the community as a result of child spacing.
The men in the house are usually the dominant decision makers and the partners are expected to abide by his decisions. Thus the achievement of all of these will depend on the knowledge and attitude of men towards family planning. The aim of this research therefore is involving men to focus them as responsible parents and to encourage them either to use the contraceptive themselves or to support their partners in using a method. Also, they are involved so as to finance the purchase of the contraceptives.
Considering those facts mentioned above, the researcher wants to examine the knowledge and attitude of men towards family planning to see how it affects this practice especially since men are the decision makers in the family and to see areas to educate and enlighten them.
The Knowledge And Attitudes Of Men Towards Family Planning
1.1 Statement of the Problem
Whether men are more likely than women to approve of family planning is a problem that still bothers the family planning educators. The increase in the maternal morbidity and mortality rate as a result of abortion due to unwanted pregnancy and complications of pregnancy are problems that befall many families in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area.
The level of malnutrition and mortality rate among children mostly 0-5 years as a result of having more children that the parents cannot care for is one of the problems in this society. Also there has been no evidence to show that men are unlikely than women to approve family planning. Based on these factors, the researcher is spurred to find out what are the knowledge and attitude of men towards family planning. The researcher wants to look into this.
1.2 Significance of the Study
In most societies, the husband is usually the dominant decision maker and his wife is expected to abide by his decisions. Men play a major role in family planning and can influence how long their partners continue to use family planning commodities. The main aim of this study in involving men is to focus them as responsible parenthood and to encourage them either to use the contraceptives themselves or to support their partners in using a method. Also they are involved so as to finance the purchase of the commodities.
Nevertheless, there is a little evidence that male opposition is a major obstacle to family planning. It is assumed in most cases that lack of communication between the husband and wife causes a greater obstacle to the family planning practices. With strong consideration to those facts aforementioned, the study is then aimed at changing men’s attitude to favour family planning particularly for child spacing.
1.3 Scope of the Study
The scope of this study is limited to Mkpat Enin Local Government Area.
1.4 Limitations of the Study
Due to the short time allotted to this research combined with studies, transportation, language, finance, this study is limited to the men in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area.
1.5 Objectives of the Study
Three objectives were formulated to guide the study:
- To determine the knowledge of men in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area towards family planning.
- To determine the attitude of men in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area towards family planning.
- To determine the factors that militates against men in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area towards acceptance of family planning.
1.6 Research Questions
- What is the level of knowledge of men in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area towards family planning?
- What is the attitude of men in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area towards family planning?
- What factors militates against men in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area towards acceptance of family planning?
