Abstrakt

Male Perspectives of Family Planning: Evidence from La Dade Kotopon in Ghana

Manfred Kofi Antwi Asuman

 Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of universal access to reproductive health will be difficult without the full involvement and participation of men. Family planning has a major role to play in reducing poverty, maintaining quality health and improving the livelihoods of nuclear families. Men are the traditional heads of households in Ghanaian communities, as such they have the power to influence their spouse’s use family planning and what methods they chose. As such, this study sought to understand male perspectives on family planning in the La-Dade Kotopon Municipality in Ghana. A cross sectional descriptive study design was used amongst men who were chosen using the simple random method in the study area. The data was analyzed into inferential and descriptive statistics which helped to determine the perspectives of men in the La Dade Kotopon Municipality about family planning. One of the major findings of this study is that, about 60% of respondents do not think family planning is good thing which must be encouraged, the most preferred method of family planning amongst men in the study area is the withdrawal method. The study concludes that there must be a targeted, rigorous, aggressive education and dissemination of information on family planning, because the adoption of such healthy reproductive lifestyle benefits not just the individual, but the nation at large.