Online Journal of Health and Allied Sciences
Peer Reviewed, Open Access, Free Online Journal
Published Quarterly : Mangalore, South India : ISSN 0972-5997
Volume 11, Issue 1; Jan-Mar 2012
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons AttributionNo Derivative Works 2.5 India License
Original Article:
A Qualitative Study on Men’s Involvement in Reproductive Health of Women among Autorickshaw Drivers in Bangalore Rural
Vaishali S. Gaikwad, Associate Professor,
TS Mahadeva Murthy, Associate Professor,
Sudeepa D, Assistant Professor,
Department of Community Medicine, MVJ Medical college & RH, Dandupalya, Kolathur Post, Hosakote, Bangalore Rural 562114, India.
Address for Correspondence:
Dr. Vaishali S. Gaikwad,
Associate Professor,
Department of Community Medicine,
MVJ Medical college & RH
Dandupalya, Kolathur Post,
Hosakote, Bangalore Rural - 562114, India.
E-mail: [email protected]
Citation: Gaikwad VS, Murthy TSM, Sudeepa D. A Qualitative Study on Men’s Involvement in Reproductive Health of Women
among Auto-rickshaw Drivers in Bangalore Rural. Online J Health Allied Scs. 2012;11(1):3
URL: http://www.ojhas.org/issue41/2012-1-3.htm
Open Access Archives: http://cogprints.org/view/subjects/OJHAS.html and http://openmed.nic.in/view/subjects/ojhas.html
Submitted: Feb 19, 2012; Accepted: Mar 24, 2012; Published: Apr 15, 2012
Abstract:: Background: Men’s reproductive health directly
affects the partner’s reproductive health. Men also may serve as
gatekeepers to women’s access to reproductive health services.
“Male involvement” in reproductive health and family planning
programmes is not just promoting the use of male methods of
contraception, but men’s supportive roles in their families. Objectives: 1. To know the attitudes of men regarding the family
planning and women’s health. 2. To know the involvement and
participation of men in maternity, delivery, post-natal care and
family planning. 3. To study the treatment seeking behaviour of
men for the reproductive health. problems. Methods: The
study was conducted on the auto-rickshaw drivers in the
Hoskote town. Total 96 married men were interviewed using a
well-designed and pretested questionnaire. The aspects covered
are awareness and practices related to RTIs/STIs/HIV/AIDS,
family planning, antenatal care and treatment seeking behaviour for the reproductive health problems. Results: Majority
(62.50%) of the men did not help their wives seek antenatal
care. Only few 7(7.29%) were aware of parameters of antenatal
care. There were 44 (45.83%) men who reported the symptoms
of reproductive tract infections (RTIs). Among the men suffering from RTIs, only 32(72.73%) took treatment. Only 6(6.25%)
people were aware of the all family planning methods. There
were 39 (40.63%) participants having extramarital sexual relations with prostitutes or other females, of which 25(64.10%)
people do not use condoms while engaging in the high risk
sexual encounters. There were 34 (35.42%) men not aware of
HIV/AIDS. Conclusion: Antenatal care and family planning
are considered the primary responsibility of the women. Also
majority of the men in the study group have high risk sexual
behaviour. The awareness regarding HIV/AIDS is low.
Key Words: Men’s involvement; Reproductive health; Contraception; Antenatal care.
Introduction:
In recent years, many family planning and other reproductive
health programs have become interested in the topic of men and
reproductive health. These programs recognize that men’s reproductive health directly affects that of their partner’s health.
Men play key roles in supporting women’s and children’s
health, preventing unwanted pregnancies, slowing the transmis-
sion of sexually transmitted infections, making pregnancy and
delivery safer, reducing gender-based violence and also have
distinctive reproductive health needs of their own.(1) It is
shown in some studies that men also may serve as gatekeepers
to women’s access to reproductive health services.(2) However,
reproductive health programs have traditionally focused on women. The exclusion of men from such programs considerably
undermine it’s own effectiveness.As men are dominant decision maker in the society, they exert a strong influence over
their partners, determining the timing and conditions of sexual
relations, family’s social well-being and access to health care.
Their distance from reproductive health programs debarred female from their sexual rights coupled with lesser utilization of
reproductive health services. As a matter of fact, not only male,
but also a large proportion of ill health suffered by females.
Such gender inequalities in access to health care create a wide
gap between facilities available and its utilization and pose a
challenge to reproductive health services to overcome the deficiency.(3) Traditionally, health care providers and researchers
in the field of reproductive health have focused almost exclusively on women when planning programmes and services, especially with regard to family planning, prevention of unwanted
pregnancy and of unsafe abortion, and promotion of safe motherhood. In recent years, efforts have been made in many countries to broaden men’s responsibility for their own reproductive
health as well as that of their partners. Measures are also being
taken to improve gender relations by promoting men’s understanding of their familial and social roles in family planning
and sexual and reproductive health issues. The Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action (1994), urged that: "… special efforts should
be made to emphasize men's shared responsibility and promote
their active involvement in responsible parenthood, sexual and
reproductive behaviour including family planning; prenatal,
maternal child health; prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV; prevention of unwanted and high-risk
pregnancies; shared control and contribution to family income,
children's education, health and nutrition; recognition and promotion of the equal value of children of both sexes. Male responsibilities in family life must be included in the education of
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children from the earliest ages. Special emphasis should be
placed on the prevention of violence against women and children".
The above challenge calls for more intense efforts to foster
partnerships between men and women which help men identify
with the magnitude and range of reproductive illnesses which
affect women .(4) “Male involvement” in reproductive health
and family planning programmes is not just promoting the use
of male methods of contraception, but men’s supportive roles in
their families, communities and workplaces to promote gender
equity, girls’ education, women’s empowerment and sharing of
child rearing and caring.(5)
Objectives of this study:
1.
To know the attitudes of men regarding the family size
preferences, family planning and women’s health.
2.
To know the involvement and participation of men in maternity, delivery, post-natal care and family planning.
3.
To study the treatment seeking behaviour of men for the
reproductive health problems.
Materials and Methods:
The study was conducted on the auto-rickshaw drivers in the
Hoskote town. Only married men having children were interviewed using a well-designed and pretested questionnaire.
Total 96 men participated in the study. The men’s involvement
in reproductive health has been studied by examining their supportive role to wives and concern for their own health problems. The aspects covered are awareness and practices related
to RTIs/STIs/HIV/AIDS, family planning, antenatal care and
treatment seeking behaviour for the reproductive health problems.
Results:
Total of 96 auto-rickshaw drivers participated in the study.
Most of them were educated up to secondary school and belonging to the class III and IV of the Modified B. G. Prasad’s
classification of socioeconomic status.
There were 8(8.33%) respondents who reported that their wives
deliveries were home deliveries. The distribution of respondents according to the parameters of men’s involvement in reproductive health is shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Distribution of respondents according to the parameters of men’s involvement in reproductive health
Help wife seek antenatal care
36(37.50%)
Aware of antenatal care
07(07.29%)
Aware of all family planning methods
06(06.25%)
Currently using condoms
26(27.08%)
Aware of HIV/AIDS
62(64.58%)
Reported symptoms of RTIs
44(45.83%)
Wife reported symptoms of RTIs
45(46.88%)
Helped wife seek treatment for RTIs
28(62.22%)
Reported extramarital sexual behaviour
39(40.63%)
Wife undergone abortions due to unwanted preg- 22(22.92%)
nancies
Majority (62.50%) of the men did not help their wives seek
antenatal care. Only few 7(7.29%) were aware of parameters of
antenatal care.
There were 44 (45.83%) men who reported the symptoms of reproductive tract infections (RTIs). The distribution of respondents according to symptoms of reproductive tract infections is
shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Distribution of respondents according to symptoms
of reproductive tract infections
Urethral discharge
31(32.29%)
Burning micturition
06(06.25%)
Itching of genitals
07(07.29%)
Among the men suffering from RTIs, only 32(72.73%) took
treatment. The rest were not bothered about their own health.
Among the men who sought treatment, 14 (43.75%) men took
treatment in PHCs, 8 (25%) in private hospitals, and 10
(31.25%) men went to quacks. Even though most of them preferred government services , they reported the attitude of govt.
doctors was apathetic.
Among the study group 45 (46.88%) men reported that the wife
also suffers from the RTI symptoms but only 28(62.22%) men
actually helped their wife seek treatment.
Only 6(6.25%) people were aware of the all family planning
methods. Not a single man reported of vasectomy done or willingness to do it. There were 22(22.92%) men who reported that
their wife has undergone previous abortions due to unwanted
pregnancies.
In 12 (12.50%) men the wives have undergone tubectomy. In
the remaining group, only 26 (27.08%) men were using condoms occasionally while having sex with the wife. There were
24 (25%) men having 3 or more children. This shows the unmet
need for contraception.
There were 39 (40.63%) participants having extramarital sexual
relations with prostitutes or other females, of which
25(64.10%) people do not use condoms while engaging in the
high risk sexual encounters.
There were 34 (35.42%) men not aware of HIV/AIDS. Also
most of them who are aware of it, have no proper information
about its transmission and prevention.
Discussion:
In the study, the men’s participation in the antenatal care is less.
Only few were aware of parameters of antenatal care. Similarly,
in a study by KB Saha et al, only 12% men helped their wife
avail antenatal care. (6) Men consider pregnancy and its care as
a woman’s affair and she is only the sole responsible for the all
consequences. Accompanying the wife to the hospital for visits
is not considered as the husband’s role. This shows their negligible participation in antenatal care.
There were 45.83% of men who reporting the symptoms of reproductive tract infections RTIs. Urethral discharge was the
commonest symptom. Around one third of the men did not take
any treatment. Among the study group, 46.88% of the men reported that the wife also suffers from the RTI symptoms but
only few actually helped their wife seek treatment. Similarly in
the study by KB Saha et al, only 12 % of the men got the wife
treated.(6)
The awareness about all the family planning methods was very
low. Most of them knew only condoms and tubectomy as the
family planning measure. Only few men use condoms occasionally. The men’s involvement in the family planning is very
minimal. This may be due to the lack of knowledge of various
family planning measures. Also, due to the myths pertaining to
the male sterilization, ultimately the responsibility lies on the
female partner either to do sterilization or land up with unwanted pregnancies. Contraception use and effectiveness depends on the male involvement. Usually in India men are the
decision makers in the family and they may have significant influence over women’s contraceptive choice and decisions.
Almost half of the participants were having extramarital sexual
relations mostly with the prostitutes and only about one third of
them were using condoms while engaging in sex. This shows
that these men and indirectly the female partners are at risk of
sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS.
RTIs were reported more in the men having extramarital sexual
relations. ( p < 0.001) Similarly in a study by Kate M Dunn et
al, men having extramarital sex and men having sex with prostitutes were more likely to RTIs than men not having extramarital sex.(7)
Conclusion:
Antenatal care and family planning are considered the primary
responsibility of the women. Also majority of the men in the
study group have high risk sexual behaviour. The awareness regarding HIV/AIDS is low.
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Recommendations:
•
•
•
Educate the young men about the sexual responsibilities.
Involve men in the maternal care.
Train the medical personnel in counselling the couple for
the reproductive health.
•
Design and implement IEC strategy about the reproductive health issues and their role.
Acknowledgements:
We sincerely acknowledge the management of MVJ Medical
College, Bangalore, for their support for this work. We are
grateful to the group who participated and extended their full
cooperation in the study. We would like to thank our field team
and the local health workers who helped in this work.
References:
1.
PAI (Population Action International). Men: partners in
reproductive
health.
2001.
Available
at:
http://209.68.15.158/Publications/Reports/A_World_of_D
ifference/Men_Partners_in_Reproductive_Health.shtml.
Accessed on Feb 10th 2012.
2.
Greene ME, Mehta M, Pulerwitz J, Wulf D, Bankole A,
Singh S. Involving Men in Reproductive Health: Contributions to Development, Background paper to the report
Public Choices, Private Decisions: Sexual and Reproductive Health and the Millennium Development Goals.
Available at http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/documents/Greene_et_al-final.pdf. Accessed on Feb 12th
2012.
3.
Saha KB, Singh N, Jain DC, Saha UC. Men’s Involvement in Reproductive Health: A study among the Khairwar Tribe of Central India. Proceeding of National Symposium on Tribal Health. pp 265-273.
4.
Programming for male involvement in reproductive
health. Report of the meeting of WHO Regional Advisers
in Reproductive Health WHO/PAHO, Washington DC,
USA 5-7 September 2001.
5.
A study of involvement of men in reproductive health in
Jammu & Kashmir-India. Paper submitted for presentation in the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America Dallas-Texas (USA) 15-17 April,
2010.
6.
Saha KB, Singh N, Jain DC, Saha UC, Roy J. Men’s involvement in reproductive health among scheduled tribe:
experience from Khairwars, Central India. Rural and Remote Health 2007;7:605.
7.
Dunn KM, Das S, Das R. Male Reproductive Health: A
village based study of camp attenders in rural India. Reproductive Health 2004;1:7.
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