Male participation in birth spacing

ABSTRACT

A cross-sectional, descriptive, community-based survey using pre-tested pre-formed questionnaire was carried out on 100 randomly selected husbands of 1000 currently married women of age 15-49 years residing in rural area of Taikkyi Township where 24.2 percent of the married women were current users of contraceptives. Major portion (89 percent) had heard of contraception and 85 percent knew one or more method(s) of spacing birth. Only 1 percent knew what safe period meant although 75.3 percent claimed to have knowledge of the method. The majority desired three children per family. As regards attitudinal responses, 80 percent thought contraception should be the wife's responsibility, 72 percent thought it should be theirs, 23 percent thought contraception should begin at the start of married life, 71 percent preferred male method, 51 percent agreed that contraception should not be practiced, 48 percent disliked methods requiring medical examination and 78 percent thought contraception should be used during lactation. As for effect on health, 70 percent considered it good for the child. Contraception was negatively reviewed by some as to be against religion (22 percent), against culture (18 percent) and against nature (17 percent).