Transcript MALE INVOLVEMENT IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH Dr. Babar T. Shaikh Health Systems Division Department of Community Health Sciences Aga Khan University Karachi-Pakistan.

MALE INVOLVEMENT IN
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
Dr. Babar T. Shaikh
Health Systems Division
Department of Community Health Sciences
Aga Khan University
Karachi-Pakistan
Learning Objectives:
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Comprehend the meanings of ‘Male
Involvement in RH.
Recognize the role of men in RH.
Understand the strategies to
ensure the men’s participation in RH
matters.
Discuss the implications of men’s
involvement in RH.
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH:
MEN’S PARTICIPATION
Men: Full partners and advocates
for good reproductive health
 reaching men is a winning strategy
 to encourage sexual responsibility
 to foster men’s support of their
partners’ contraceptive choices
 to address the reproductive health
care of couples
New Perspectives
Recognize:
 Men play dominant roles in decisions
 Men are more interested in family
planning than assumed
 Need communication and services
directed specifically to them
 Understanding-and influencing-the
balance of power
 Couples who talk to each other reach
better, healthier decisions
Goals
 Provides male support for female actions
related to reproduction and respect for
women’s reproductive and sexual rights
 Increases access to male contraceptive
methods
 Improves male and female reproductive
health
 Promotes responsible and healthy
reproductive and sexual behavior in
young men
 Involves men with their spouses during
counseling and other FP/RH information
The reasons for attention to men:
 spread of HIV/AIDS and STDs
 ill effects of men’s risky sexual behaviour
on the health of women and children
 men approve of family planning
 men make decisions that affect women and
men’s health
 awareness that gender affects sexual
behaviour, reproductive decision-making,
and reproductive health
 demands from women for more involvement
In Cairo…
At the 1994 International
Conference on Population and
Development (ICPD), held in Cairo,
representatives from more than
180 countries formally recognized
the importance of men to women’s
reproductive health and also
recognized the importance of
men’s own reproductive health.
 The ICPD Programme of Action urges
all countries to provide men, as well as
women, with reproductive health care
that is “accessible, affordable,
acceptable and convenient”
 The ICPD Programme of Action
encourages reproductive health care
programmes to move away from
considering men and women separately
and to adopt a more holistic approach
that includes men and focuses on couples
 The ICPD also draws
attention to the unfairness
inherent in many men’s and
women’s gender roles, calling
for men to take more
responsibility for household
work and child-rearing
In Beijing…
The 1995 United Nations Fourth
World Conference on Women,
held in Beijing, encourages men
to take steps toward achieving
gender equality and better
reproductive health.
Terms used for Involvement
of men in RH
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men’s participation
men’s responsibility
male motivation
male involvement
men as partners
men and reproductive health
A complex process of social and
behavioural change
Policies and programmes encourage:
 Men to take more responsibility
for their sexual behaviour
 men’s access to reproductive
health information and services
 communication with their partners
 reproductive health care needs of
couples
A promising strategy to:
 slow the spread of HIV/AIDS and other
STDs
 prevent unintended pregnancies
 reduce unmet need for family planning
 foster safe motherhood
 practice responsible fatherhood
 stop abuse of women
Men and Contraception
 Men’s participation is crucial to avoid
unintended pregnancies. Of the 175
million pregnancies each year, about
75 million are unintended, (UNFPA)
 An estimated 100 million married
women have unmet need for family
planning
 Surveys exist only for married
women.
Safe motherhood:
Men’s Role
Men play many key roles
 Their decisions and actions
make a difference during:
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• pregnancy
• delivery
• the postpartum period
During pregnancyby ensuring:
 Good Nutrition
 Plenty of rest
 Timely referral
Helping pregnant
women stay healthy
 ensure proper antenatal and early
care
 provide transportation
 provide funds to pay for visits
 learn about the symptoms of
pregnancy complications
During the Non-Pregnant
Interval Period
Planning their families
limit births
space at least two years apart
support contraceptive use
accompany their partners for
services
 communicate with each other to
meet needs
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During delivery, arranging
for skilled care
 A trained attendant present during
childbirth can mean the difference
between life and death.
 Men can help by arranging for a trained
attendant to be available for the
delivery and by paying for the services.
 They also can arrange ahead of time
for transportation and can buy supplies,
if necessary.
During the postpartum period
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men can help with household chores
 can encourage breastfeeding
 can begin using contraception
Men can be responsible fathers by:
 becoming more involved in their
children’s healthy, physical and
emotional development
 ensuring that their children
receive all of the needed
immunizations
 helping in children’s day to day
care
Factors Limiting Male Involvement
 Primary health center (PHC) programs not geared to
meet men’s needs
 Limited contraceptive options for men
 Rumors and misconceptions
 Unfavorable social and cultural climate
 Priorities to women and child care services
 Provider’s bias against male involvement
 Lack of information and knowledge
 Limited communication between spouses about FP needs
 PHC service providers are mostly female
Men need more info on:
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contraception
reproductive physiology
sexuality
pregnancy
STDs
other reproductive health care
How to involve them?
 How can programmes communicate
effectively with men?
 How can reproductive health care
providers best increase men’s
participation?
 How can programmes encourage
more men to care about
reproductive health?
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Some solutions
Design IEC materials, communication
programmes and services, focus gender
equality.
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RH information and services should focus the
couple rather than the individual.
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Remove myths about condom and vasectomy.
Service providers to be sensitized for men’s
reproductive health needs.
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In RH health clinics, a constellation health
services may increase the male clientele.
Some solutions
contd….
 Separate clinic for males.
 Improved services at existing clinics.
 Workplace services.
 Community-based services.
 Commercial and social marketing.
 Increase contraceptive choice for men.
 Train providers about male FP/RH needs.