Men and reproductive health
Wegner, M.N.
Avsc News 34(4): 2
1996
PMID: 12321997 Document Number: 242572
AVSC's Men As Partners (MAP) program is halfway through its first year. MAP is a 3-year global initiative to help service providers, policymakers, and funders design programs which constructively involve men in family planning and reproductive health. Research is a very important component of the initiative. The first research activity, a review of the literature on reproductive health programs for male adolescents, programs to teach men about HIV/AIDS, and little-known programs serving couples' reproductive health needs, is in draft form. In addition, case studies will be constructed of nongovernmental organizations' initiatives around the world to reach and serve men. Findings from these two research activities will form background documents for a MAP workshop to be held in Mombasa, Kenya, in May 1997, and a subsequent workshop in Latin America. Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Eritrea, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda will each send 8-person teams to the workshop, while clients will also attend to share their perspectives. The main goal is to share information on the MAP initiative and the general issue of male involvement in reproductive health. In accordance with that goal, members of AVSC's MAP team have spoken at 16 technical agency meetings, been asked to make presentations for 4 donor agencies, and discussed informal findings at 5 workshops.