Men's Perceptions of and Participation in Family Planning in Aqaba and Ma'an Governorates, Jordan

Men's participation in family planning has become a cornerstone in women's reproductive health. The aim of this study was to examine knowledge, attitudes and practice towards family planning of Jordanian men in southern Jordan. In a cross-sectional descriptive study in 2012, structured interviews were made with 104 married men in Aqaba and Ma'an governorates. Although 93.5% of the men had heard about family planning-most commonly the intrauterine device (IUD) and oral contraceptives-only 45.1% reported that they and their wife currently used it. Most men agreed about a minimum 2 years' child spacing (93.3%) and starting contraception after childbirth (71.2%) and that husband and wife should share decisions about family planning (90.2%) and the number of children (89.5%). Level of education significantly affected current use of contraception, while number of children significantly affected previous use of contraception. Although married men had positive attitudes and good knowledge about family planning, this did not translate into practice of contraceptive use.