Male attitudes towards family planning, a study of St. Lucian men.

Abstract:

64 people were interviewed for this study: 50 men and 14 women, who were the wives or girlfriends of 14 of the men involved. The participants were between 20 and 40 years old, and came from both rural and urban areas. The sample included blue and white collar workers, farmers and laborers. Most of the participants had 9 or 10 siblings, but reported, on average, an ideal completed family size of 4 and had an average of 2 children at the time of the interview. The study found that all the men knew of at least 2 contraceptive methods although 1/2 of the men relied on women to use contraception, 20% contracepted diligently. Another 1/4 did not contracept at all. The men did tend to discuss family planning with their partners and to value children; however, most of the men lived with only some of their children. The most important insight offered by this study concerns the meaning of "contraceptive use." What do men actually mean when they say that they use contraceptives? The study finds that this often means a reliance on women to take contraceptive responsibility. The study examines such background variables as the role of the father, the status of women relative to men, and fidelity insofar as they relate to family planning attitudes and behavior. The women wanted, on average, slightly fewer children than the men. They were better informed about family planning: all of them knew of at least 4 contraceptive methods. Most of the women believed that men and women were equal, but claimed that they would not end their relationships if their partner had relationships with other women. They were interested in family planning education, and although the men also expressed this interest, they tended to be very reluctant to go to a family planning clinic or health center. It is clear that the St. Lucian men who took part in this study would be better contraceptors if methods other than condoms or vasectomy were available to them.