Male Involvement in Family Planning Decision Making in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Yinyinade Ijadunola, Obafemi Awolowo University
Kayode T. Ijadunola, Obafemi Awolowo University
Titilayo Abiona, Obafemi Awolowo University

The study aimed at determining the extent of male involvement in family planning and reproductive goal decision making among couples in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. A structured household questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from 402 male study participants and 50% of their spouses. Twelve focus group discussions and four in-depth interviews were also held with identified groups and individuals. Eighty nine percent of men approved of the use of family planning while only about 11% disapproved of it. Spousal communication about family planning and other family reproductive goals was quite poor, as consistently less than a quarter of either male respondents or their spouses individually initiated discussions on common reproductive health issues such as when to achieve a pregnancy, when to avoid a pregnancy and use of contraceptives. The study concluded that male involvement in family planning decision making in Ile-Ife was poor and their patronage of family planning services was low.