Male Involvement in Family Planning Yields Positive Results

Communication Programme Helps Change Male Attitudes Towards Reproductive Health

AMMAN- Assessments made following six years of implementing the “male involvement in family planning and reproductive health” program found an increase in men’s knowledge and an improvement in attitudes toward prescribed birth spacing methods. Working to change the mentality of Jordanian men who believe having children is a “one-man show,” the program increased spousal communication on family planning (FP), according to Higher Population Council Secretary General Zuhair Kayed, speaking during a ceremony disseminating the campaign’s final results.

Some 81 percent of men began including their wives in decisionmaking, compared with 58 percent at the program's inception. With regard to contraceptive use for FP, 50 percent believed the pill was effective, compared with 44, 21 percent believed in condom use, compared with 11 percent, and 55 believed in the use of diaphragms, compared with 49 percent.

The survey also found that more than 2 million men and women between the ages of 16 to 64 said they had seen the campaign’s leaflets and advertisements in the media – many even remembered the slogan.

Prior to 1996, the use of modern FP methods was limited because of husband opposition and religious and health concerns.

According to HRH Princess Basma, the program's patron since its launch in 1998, the plan is based upon principles in Islamic Sharia, the Jordanian Constitution, human rights, and respect for the values of Jordanian society.

The strategy is based upon achieving a balance between population growth and the requirements of sustainable development and economic growth in a country faced with scarce natural resources.

“It sought to spread credible, correct information about reproductive health, family planning, and the position of Islam with regard to those two issues,” said the princess.

Carried out by the Ministries of awqaf, health, and social development, as well as the Department of Statistics and the public and private sectors, the project focused on the importance of the work of the clergy in a highly conservative society.

The survey revealed that 60 percent of clergymen are calling for family planning – highlighting that Islam is not against it.

The program was also made possible with technical assistance from Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Communication Programs with financing from USAID.

The director of USAID’s Population and Reproductive Health Office, David Piet, said the American agency expects to continue supporting strategically designed behavior modification communication programs.

The survey recommended that further communication programs should be carried out in areas where men still hold on to traditional beliefs, such as southern districts and crowded urban areas.

Youth and specific labor groups, such as soldiers and those who work in factories, were also suggested for approach to create positive attitudes toward reproductive health.