Engaging Men in Family Planning: Perspectives From Married Men in Loma, Togo
Outcomes: Sexual and Reproductive Health
View SourceKey Social Norms Take-aways The study highlights that entrenched gender norms shape male engagement in family planning, particularly the belief that men should have the final say in reproductive decisions. These norms create barriers for women’s agency and complicate their autonomous use of contraception. However, men’s openness to learning and their respect for trusted community influencers suggest that social norms can shift with targeted interventions that validate men’s involvement without undermining women’s autonomy. Programs should challenge the norm that men alone control fertility decisions, promoting joint decision-making and equitable partnerships in reproductive health.
Objectives This study aimed to understand how to better engage men in family planning in Lomé, Togo, by exploring the attitudes, experiences, and preferences of married men regarding contraception, spousal communication, and sources of family planning information and services. The goal was to inform future family planning programs that involve men in similar urban and peri-urban contexts across francophone West Africa.
Methods A qualitative design was used, with six focus group discussions conducted in 2016 among 72 married men aged 18–54 from various occupational backgrounds. The discussions were held in four districts in Lomé and facilitated by trained local investigators using open-ended, semi-structured guides. Thematic content analysis was conducted using a deductive coding approach to identify dominant themes.
Intervention Details The study was part of operations research assessing the Agir pour la Planification Familiale (AgirPF) program implemented by USAID/West Africa and EngenderHealth. The AgirPF program aimed to increase voluntary contraceptive use through mobile outreach services, city-based service delivery, community-based distribution, and advocacy by local leaders. Although not an intervention study per se, the research was embedded in evaluating this broader initiative.
Results Participants expressed mixed views on family planning. While many supported it for socioeconomic reasons—such as child education and maternal health—others held reservations linked to misconceptions about health risks or moral concerns, including fears that contraception could encourage infidelity. Most men disapproved of women using contraception without spousal consent, associating it with deception or threats to marital stability. All participants showed strong interest in learning more about family planning, preferring trusted sources like community health workers, respected male peers, and couples with positive contraceptive experiences. Barriers to male involvement included limited male-targeted messaging, few male contraceptive options, and services perceived as oriented toward women.
Conclusions Engaging men is essential to achieving family planning goals in Togo and similar settings. Programs must address men’s specific concerns and misconceptions, improve communication between spouses, and expand male-friendly services and contraceptive options. Campaigns should include tailored messaging and trusted delivery channels to support men as both clients and partners in family planning.
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