Men's willingness to use novel male contraception is linked to gender-equitable attitudes: Results from an exploratory online survey.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the association of men's willingness to use a novel male contraceptive with their attitudes toward gender equity. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted an anonymous online survey examining willingness to use male contraception among reproductive-age (18-50 years) cisgender men from the United States and Canada, recruited via online forums, social media ads, and male contraceptive mailing lists from April through July of 2022. We collected sociodemographics and reproductive histories and used a 20-item Gender-Equitable Men Scale to examine men's gender role attitudes. We conducted bivariate analyses to inform a multivariable logistic regression isolating the independent influence of increasingly gender-equitable attitudes on cis-men's willingness to use novel male contraceptives. RESULTS: We received 2066 surveys from primarily white (n = 1192; 58%), heterosexual (n = 1816; 88%), married cis-men (n = 1008; 49%), below age 30 (n = 1010; 49%), and who had not completed a bachelor's degree (n = 1173; 57%). The majority reported sex multiple times per week (n = 946; 46%), but had never gotten someone pregnant (n = 907; 44%); nearly half (n = 994; 48%) identified as parents. Three-quarters of respondents reported being willing to use novel male contraceptives (n = 1545; 75%); willingness was independently linked to having had an abortion (adjOR: 2.04; 95% CI: 1.37-3.02) and increasing total Gender-Equitable Men Scale scores (adjOR: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.02-1.08), even after controlling for age, race/ethnicity, and education. CONCLUSIONS: Three-quarters of cis-men surveyed reported willingness to use new male contraceptives, which was correlated with increasingly gender-equitable attitudes. IMPLICATIONS: As gender-equitable attitudes are linked to men's willingness to use novel male contraceptives, older population surveys may underestimate male contraceptive demand. Further, given the association of abortion experience with willingness to use novel male contraceptives, abortion-providing clinics may be considered for future dissemination of male contraceptives.

Post-abortion contraception, an opportunity for male partners and male contraception.

OBJECTIVES: Men who accompany their female partners at the time of an abortion represent a unique population who may be amenable to receiving postabortion contraceptive services. We sought to examine their interest in receiving both counseling and contraception when available. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed a subset of survey data on the experience of accompanying male partners at the time of an abortion at two urban family planning clinics. We examined their beliefs about shared contraceptive responsibility, attitudes towards participating in contraceptive counseling, and willingness to use novel male contraceptives. We conducted bivariate analyses and logistic regressions for sociodemographic and reproductive factors linked to these outcomes. RESULTS: Of 210 male partners surveyed at the time of an abortion, nearly three-quarters characterized preventing unwanted pregnancy as a shared responsibility, believed in the importance of attending contraceptive counseling with their female partner, and reported willingness to use novel male contraceptives. Contraceptive method used when discovering the pregnancy was neither linked to men's attitudes towards counseling nor interest in using novel male contraceptives. Individuals between the ages of 25 to 34 (aOR: 2.69; 95%CI: 1.32-5.48), those with a college education (aOR: 5.49; 95%CI: 1.31-22.94), and those who had never experienced abortion (aOR: 2.21; 95%CI: 1.08-4.55) exhibited greater interest in using novel male contraceptives. Black respondents (aOR: 2.33; 95%CI: 1.01-5.38) exhibited greater interest in receiving contraceptive counseling with their partner and a counselor following the abortion. CONCLUSION: For male partners, abortion may be an opportunity to engage men in contraceptive counseling and when available, offer new male contraceptives. IMPLICATIONS: As few men receive comprehensive contraceptive counseling, engaging men when they accompany their female partners to family planning clinics may be an additional strategy to prevent unwanted pregnancy.