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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Rebecka Lundgren, MPH, Institute for Reproductive Health, Georgetown University/Department of OB/GYN, 3800 Reservoir Road, NW, 3 PHC, Washington, DC 20007, 202-687-1392, lundgrer@georgetown.edu, James N. Gribble, ScD, Institute for Reproductive Health, Georgetown University School of Medicine, 3800 Reservoir Road, NW, 3 PHC, Washington, DC 20007, and Gail Montano, MPH, Project Concern International, Calle Los Castanos No. 2-24, Colonia San Francisco, San Salvador, El Salvador.
In Latin America, men are generally perceived as a barrier to family planning. However, empirical data comparing male and female attitudes and practices is scarce. PROCOSAL,the Salvadoran affiliate of Project Concern, surveyed men and women in rural communities to provide information to design an intervention to address male family planning needs. Focus groups and in-depth interviews were also conducted to add depth to the findings. Results indicate that while men and women share many family planning attitudes, recognizing areas where they differ may provide the basis for successfully involving men in family planning programs. Men and women reported similar levels of family planning knowledge and experience, but obtain information from different sources. Also, women were more likely to report use of female-dependent methods, possibly due to covert use. Although both men and women express similar attitudes and beliefs about family planning, men are significantly more concerned about the health effects of family planning methods. Both sexes reported discussing family planning during the previous six months, but were in disagreement about who made the decision to use a family planning method and the reasons for doing so. Data suggest that men perceive themselves as being more involved in family planning than women perceive them to be. Based on these results, PROCOSAL has implemented a program to meet the needs of both men and women, offering a wider range of methods and incorporating messages and outreach strategies tailored to meet men's needs.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Family Planning, Gender
Related Web page: irh.org
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.