Men’s Involvement in Family Planning and Unmet Needs of Contraception among Women in Ido/Osi Local Government Area, Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Unmet need of contraception is a serious issue in Nigeria that has caused unintended pregnancies and bad reproductive health results. The role of men in family planning has been very important and in patriarchal society such as Nigeria where men serve as the key influencers of reproductive choices. This research paper explored the level of participation of men in family planning and how it is connected to the unmet contraceptive needs among women at Ido/Osi Local Government Area (LGA) in Ekiti State, Nigeria.
Methods: Cross-section survey of 246 women of reproductive age (15-49 years) who had given birth within the past three years in Ido/Osi LGA was carried out. The respondents were selected through multistage sampling and data gathered through self-completed questionnaires. The associations between men involvement and unmet contraceptive needs were tested with chi-square and logistic regression models, and the fertility preferences and male involvement were summarized with descriptive statistics.
Findings: The research findings indicated that the prevalence of unmet need to contraception among women is high (59.8%). Although 46.3% of the respondents said their husbands participated in family planning, the actual use of male contraceptives was minimal with only 33.3% of the participating males using contraceptive methods, mainly condoms (73.7%t). A report on spousal communication on family planning showed that 58.1% of women had it, and it had a significant impact on contraceptive use and support. The statistical computation revealed that there was significant correlation between the participation of men in family planning and a low rate of unmet contraceptive need ( 2 = 31.583, p = 0.005). Logistic regression revealed that Husband involvement was the only significant independent variable (OR = 0.197, p < 0.001), and the odds of Respondents whose husbands were not involved were significantly low (OR = 0.20, p < 0.001), thus other socio-demographic factors may also contribute.
Conclusion: Despite the high demand of contraceptive use among women living in Ido/Osi LGA, men participation in family planning is not as optimum as it should be. Increased engagement of men by means of better communication, education and sociocultural interventions can help decrease unwanted pregnancies and improve reproductive health outcomes. Strategies to actively involve the men should be implemented by policymakers and reproductive health programs in order to ensure improved uptake of family planning.