Report of the Men's Survey.

[Guest guest]

A research report published in 'POPULATION REPORT' on September-

October 2004 issue.

Men's Surveys: New Findings

Since 1990, 46 countries, most in sub-Saharan Africa, have taken

nationally representative surveys of men's family planning attitudes

and behavior. In nearly all surveyed countries, most men know and

approve of contraception. Most married men say that they want to

have more children, however, and on average, they want more children

than married women do.

A growing percentage of men are using contraceptive methods,

particularly condoms, surveys show. Still, in many surveyed

countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, a minority of all men

report currently using contraception.

Of the 46 countries that have surveyed men about family planning

since 1990, 25 are in sub-Saharan Africa, 11 in Latin America and

the Caribbean, and the remaining 10 in other regions. Twenty

countries, most in sub-Saharan Africa, have had more than one

national survey since 1990. Most surveys include both married and

unmarried men. These surveys are part of the Demographic and Health

Surveys (DHS) and Reproductive Health Surveys (RHS) programs.

Surveys of men cover many of the same topics that surveys of women

cover, allowing comparisons between men and women in the surveyed

countries. The findings of women's surveys are presented in a

companion issue of Population Reports, New Survey Findings: The

Reproductive Revolution Continues, Series M, Number 17, Spring 2003

On that issue of the journal it has been published that new findings

observed during 'Men's Survey' since 1990, in 46 countries (most of

the Sub-Saharan Africa) have taken national representative surveys

of men's family planning attitudes and behaviors. In news all

surveyed countries, most of men know and approve of contraception.

Most married men say that they want to have more children, however,

and on average, they want more children then married women do.

A growing percentage of men are using contraceptive methods,

particularly condoms. Still in many countries of Sub-Saharan Africa

a minority of all men report currently using contraception. These

surveys are part of the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and

Reproductive Health Surveys (RHS) programme.

Key finds are:

A. Sexually active unmarried men use contraception more than married

men; Sexually active unmarried men are more likely than married men

to use contraception, primarily condoms. In only 16 surveyed

countries do a majority of married men report that they or their

wives use contraception.

Nonetheless, in 41 countries married men report more condom use than

married women do. This difference suggests that many men may use

condoms extramarital.

B. Men are more likely than women to know of family planning but

less likely to approve:

In 23 of 25 Sub-Saharan countries, men are more likely than women to

know of at least on contraceptive awareness. In most surveyed

countries, however, men are less likely than women to approve of

family planning. Nonetheless, in all but one country, the percentage

of married men who say they approve of family planning is greater

than the percentage of married women who think that their husbands

approve. A women who knows her husband attitudes about family

planning's is more likely to use contraception than a women who does

not know.

C. Men often want more children than women can not: In 21 of 41

countries with survey data on desired family size married men,

on average, report that they want at least 0.5 % more children that

married women want. In nine Sub-Saharan Countries married men want

an average of at least two children more. Polygamy probably accounts

for some of these difference between married men and women in Sub-

Saharan Africa. Even among monogamous couples, however, married men

want more children than married women want. Such findings help to

explain why may married women report that they have children than

they would have preferred.

D. Young unmarried men face years of potential HIV/AIDS risk:

In most of 33 countries with survey data, half of family men report

that they began sex before age 18, but in most countries the median

age at fist marriage is between 23 and 30. This gap suggests that

many young unmarried men face at least five years of potential risk

for STIs, including HIV/AIDS.

Despite the risk, in 15 of 32 countries with data, most sexually

active unmarried adolescent men do not use condoms or any offer

contraceptive method.

POPULATION REPORT: The INFO Project,

Hopkins Center for Communication Programmes.

111, Market Place, Suit-310. Baltimore, land 21202, USA.

Website; www.populationreports.org

http://www.infoforhealth.org/pr/m18/

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I am looking for comments on above findings.

Thanking you

Debi Prasad Halder (Banerjee)

e-mail: debiph1@...

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NOTE: A PDF VERSION OF THE REPORT IS AVAIALBLE FROM THE MODERATOR.