Perception and Attitude towards Involvement of Males in Family Planning Practices in Nigeria

Aim: The study is designed to assess the perception and attitude towards the involvement of males in family planning practices in Nigeria.

Methodology: This study design was a descriptive cross-sectional design, whose population were males (15-55 years), and selected via the convenience sampling technique. The research instrument was a semi-structured questionnaire on male involvement in family planning and was subjected to face and content validity (Cronbach Alpha = 0.673). The study data (responses) were analysed using simple frequency, percentages, and means, with the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) V 21.

Results: Most of the men (n=267; 96.4%) have good knowledge of family planning, and there is a medium level of men’s involvement (n=141; 50.9%) towards family planning practices. Furthermore, regarding their behaviours towards family planning methods involvement, 208 (75.1%) men disagreed that family planning is meant for only females and that contraceptives are not working for males, while all the men (n=277; 100 %) disagreed that family planning is meant for the literate only. More so, half of the men (n=147; 53.1%) rejected that family planning delay pregnancy, while 208 (75.1%) men accepted that it prevents pregnancies. These results proved that the men do not believe only the literate utilize family planning methods.

Conclusion: Most males are knowledgeable about family planning and many adopted condoms as their methods of family planning, which implies that men could be effectively involved in family planning with proper and effective education.