Do knowledge and cultural perceptions of modern female contraceptives predict male involvement in Ayete, Nigeria?
Sanusi, A.; Akinyemi, O.O.; Onoviran, O.O.
African Journal of Reproductive Health 18(4): 105-114
2014
ISSN/ISBN: 1118-4841 PMID: 25854098 Document Number: 626515
Male involvement is crucial to female contraceptive use. This study examined how male knowledge and cultural perceptions of modern female contraceptives influence involvement in contraceptive use. A cross-sectional survey of 389 men from Ayete, Nigeria was used to regress a continuous male involvement score on demographic variables, knowledge of at least one method of modern female contraception and a scored male perception variable using Ordinary Least Squares regression. Controlling for perception, the knowledge of at least one method of modern female contraception was not significantly associated with a change in male involvement (p=0.264). Increasing positive perception was associated with higher male involvement scores (p=0.001). Higher educated males, those with a current desire to have children and males whose partners were currently using a method had greater male involvement scores (p<0.05). Policy and intervention efforts should be focused on changing cultural perceptions, in addition to providing in-depth knowledge of contraceptive methods.