Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T04:29:57.506Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The male versus female perspective on family planning: Kinshasa, Zaire

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Jane T. Bertrand ,
Bakutuvwidi Makani ,
Michael P. Edwards ,
Nancy C. Baughman ,
Kinavwidi Lewu Niwembo  and
Balowa Djunghu
Jane T. Bertrand
Affiliation:
Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, USA
Bakutuvwidi Makani
Affiliation:
CITRED, Kinshasa, Zaire
Michael P. Edwards
Affiliation:
Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, USA
Nancy C. Baughman
Affiliation:
Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, USA
Kinavwidi Lewu Niwembo
Affiliation:
CITRED, Kinshasa, Zaire
Balowa Djunghu
Affiliation:
Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, USA
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Males have often been neglected in both family planning programmes and in surveys used to design and evaluate such programmes. A 1988 study on fertility, family planning and AIDS in Kinshasa, Zaire, provides comparable data on 3140 men and 3485 women of reproductive age which served as the basis for analysing male/female differences. The study indicated a fair degree of similarity in the attitudes, beliefs, knowledge levels and practices of men and women regarding fertility and family planning. Where they differed (e.g. on expected or ideal number of children, the desire for more children at parity 7 or above), men tended to be more pronatalist than women. The implications of the findings for future family planning programmes are discussed. Programmes should target males because of their role as decision makers within Zairian society.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 28 , Issue 1 , January 1996 , pp. 37 - 55
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adebayo, A. (1988) The masculine side of planned parenthood: an explanatory analysis. J. comp. Fam Stud. 19, 55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ahmed, G., Shellstede, W. P. & Williamson, N. E. (1987) Underreporting of contraceptive use in Bangladesh. Int. Fam. Plann. Perspect. 13, 136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Amoussou-Guenou, A. (1988) La planification familiale au Togo: tenants et aboutissants. In: Population et Developement, Actes du Seminaire de Dissemination des Resultats de Recherches sur la Population et al Developement au Togo, pp. 1137–123. Unité de Recherche Demographique, University du Benin, Lome, Togo.Google Scholar
Anonymous (1988) Religion and conservative husbands balk at family planning. Dev. Forum, 16 (5), 17.Google Scholar
Bertrand, J. & Brown, J. (1992) Family Planning Successes in Two Cities in Zaire. Policy Research Working Paper Series, No. 1042. World Bank, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Bertrand, J., Makani, B., Hassig, S., Niwembo, K. L., Djunghu, B., Muanda, M. & Chirhamolekwa, C. (1991) AIDS-related knowledge, sexual behavior and condom use among men and women in KinshasamZaire. Am. J. publ. Hlth, 81, 53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caldwell, J. C. & Caldwell, P. (1987) The Cultural context of high fertility in sub-Saharan Africa. Popul. Dev. Rev. 13, 409.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fayorsey, C. (1989) Family planning in Africa: the relevance of gender issues. In: Developments in Family Planning Policies and Programmes in Africa, PP. 194–229. Regional Institute for Population, Legon, Ghana.Google Scholar
Hassig, S., Bertrand, J. T., Djunghu, B., Kinzonzi, M. & Mangani, N. (1991) Duration and correlates of post-partum abstinence in four sites in Zaire. Social Sci. Med. 32, 343.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hawkins, K. (1992) Male Participation in Family Planning: A Review of Programme Approaches. International Planning Parenthood Federation, London.Google Scholar
Ilori, F. D. (1981) Sex differentials in attitudes to family size in Nigeria and their implications for family planning programs, In: Population and Economic Development in Nigeria in the 1980s, pp. 209–219. Edited by Chojnacka, HOlusanya, P. O. & Oyao, F.Department of Technical Cooperation for Development, United Nations, New York.Google Scholar
Keller, A., Severyns, P., Khan, A. & Dodd, N. (1989) Toward family planning in the 1990s: a review and assessment. Int. Fam. Plann. Perspect. 15, 127.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khalifa, M. (1989) Knowledge and attitudes of family planning in Khartoum province, Sudan. Egypt. Popul. Fam. Plann. Rev. 16, 20.Google Scholar
Kone, H. & Yao, K. F. (1989) Project Panafricain de Supports Imprimés en Matiére de Planification Familiale. Notes et Etudes du CERCOM, No. 1. Universitè Nationale de Cote d'Ivoire, Abidjan.Google Scholar
Kwansa, E. (1990) Reaching men: the Ghanaian experience. In: Family Planning for Life: Experiences and Challenges for the 1990s, pp. 129–142. Edited by Bouzidi, M. & Korte, R.International Planned Parenthood Federation, London.Google Scholar
Lee, E. T. (1980) Statistical Methods for Survival Data Analysis. Lifetime Learning, Belmont, California.Google Scholar
Lubin, D. (1987) Dévelopement récents et nouvelles orientations en matière de services d'espacement des naissances en Afrique. In: Services d'Espacement de Naissances de Qualité en Africa Francophone. Final report. USAID Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa, Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.Google Scholar
Macro International (1993) DHS Newsletter, 5, 1.Google Scholar
Makani, B., Kinavwidi, L. N. & Way, A. (1985) Planification Familiale, Fecondité et Santé Familiale au Zaire, 1982–84. Westinghouse Public Applied Systems, Columbia, Maryland, and Institut National de la Statistique, Kinshasa.Google Scholar
Makani, B., Kinavwidi, L. N. & Bertrand, J. (1991) Fecondité et Planification Familiale: Kinshasa 1988. Départment de Sante Publique, Kinshasa, and Tulane University, New Orleans.Google Scholar
Mbizvo, M. T. & Adamchak, D. J. (1991) Family planning knowledge, attitudes and practice of men in Zimbabwe. Stud. Fam. Plann. 22, 31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGinn, T., Bamba, A. & Balma, M. (1989) Male Knowledge, use and attitudes regarding family planning in Burkina Faso. Int. Fam. Plann. Perspect. 15, 84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Milligan, A. (1986) The forgotten men of Kenya. People, 13, 10.Google Scholar
Mott, F. L. & Mott, S. H. (1985) Household fertility decisions in West Africa: a comparison of male and female survey results. Stud. Fam. Plann. 16, 88.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
National Research Council (1993) Factors Affecting Contraceptive Use in sub-Saharan Africa. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Niger Ministry of Public Health and Social Affairs, National Family Health Center and Columbia University (1988) Rapport de l'Enquete Connaissances, Attitudes, Pratiques en Sante Familiale, Ville de Niamey, Niger, 1987. Niamey, Niger.Google Scholar
Page, H. & Lesthaege, R. (1981) Child-spacing in Tropical Africa. Academic Press, London.Google Scholar
Piotrow, P., Kincaid, D. L., Hindin, M. J. et al. (1992) Changing men's attitudes and behavior: the Zimbabwe Male Motivation Project. Stud. Fam. Plann. 23, 365.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Population Council (1992) Involvement of male opinion leaders: a new approach to family planning in Cameroon. Afr. Alternatives, 4, 3.Google Scholar
Projet Des Services Des Naissances Désirables (1986) Opinions et Attitudes des Hommes et des Femnies de Kintainbo Envers les Naissances Désirables. Départment de SantéPublique, Kinshasa.Google Scholar
Robey, B., Rutstein, S. O. & Morris, L. (1992) The Reproductive Revolution: New Survey Findings. Population Reports, Series M. No. 11. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.Google Scholar
Tambashe, O. & Shapiro, D. (1991) Employment, Education and Fertility Behaviour: Evidence from Kinshasa. Départment de Démographie, Université de Kinshasa.Google Scholar
Taylor, A. P. (1986) Reproduction and the family: the role of family planning. In: 1984 International Conference on Population: The Liberian Experience, pp. 190–213. Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs, Monrovia.Google Scholar
Van De, Walle E. & Traore, B. (1986) Attitudes of Women and Men Towards Contraception in Bobo-Dioulasso. African Demography Working Paper No. 13. Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.Google Scholar