Strategies For Effective Male Involvement In Family Planning Practices In Wa District, Upper West Region Of Ghana

Abstract

The effectiveness and success of family planning depends on the involvement of couples (wife and husband) but this hardly happen in most communities as evidenced in the Wa Municipality of Ghana. It is the belief, though erroneously among most males that the practice of family planning should be the sole responsibility of the female. This paper examines the factors, which inhibit male active involvement in family planning practice, and the strategies that can be implemented to make males effective and reliable partners in family planning practice in the Wa District of the Upper West region, Ghana. The survey method, using the purposive and simple random sampling technique was employed. Data for the study were gathered by the use of focus group discussions, structured interview schedules and questionnaire from a simple size of 160 respondents made up of married men and staff of Reproductive Health Unit of Ministry of Health. The findings of the study revealed that men perceived family planning facilities as a preserve for women. The militating factors against male involvement identified include lack of attractive, safe and convenient male contraceptives, female oriented family planning facilities, service providers tend to be mostly females, high premium placed on children, disapproval of modern contraceptives by their religion- the catholic and Islamic faiths, the association of family planning with promiscuity and pressure to have many children by polygamous family. The strategies identified by the study for effective male involvement include intensive education on benefits, misconceptions and rumours based on level of formal education, traditional setting, geographical location and vocation of the people. The target for education should include religious leaders, chiefs and opinion leaders who are custodians of these deep rooted cultural and religious beliefs.