Men’s Attitudes Towards Contraception in Sub-Saharan Africa

Kristin E Bietsch

Abstract

This paper examines male attitudes towards family planning in Sub-Saharan Africa. Studying attitudes is ideal as they can be calculated for all men, at any point in their lives, regardless of marital status, sexual activity, or fertility desires. We find that positive attitudes towards family planning have increased across Sub-Saharan Africa in the last two decades. We analyze both the association of positive attitudes with a variety of demographic characteristics (age, marital status, education, and religion) and the relationships with multiple forms of discussion about family planning (radio, television, friends, and partners). We find higher approval at older ages and higher levels of education, and lower levels of approval among Muslims compared to Christians. Interactions between characteristics and discussion of family planning demonstrate that hearing or talking about contraception has different associations for different groups. This paper offers a new way to explore fertility and reproductive health in Sub-Saharan Africa. (Afr J Reprod Health 2015; 19[3]: 41-54).

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