Male Involvement in Reproductive Health in Rural Bangladesh

Jill Clark, Emory University
Japhet Killewo, ICDDR,B: Centre for Health and Population Research
Kathryn M. Yount, Emory University

Contraceptive prevalence rates have risen markedly in rural Bangladesh due in large part to a doorstep-delivery system piloted by the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B). This paper investigates the long-term effects of this delivery system on male involvement in reproductive health, measured in terms of relative levels of ever and current use of male and female methods of contraception as well as inter-spousal communication about contraception. Multivariate logistic regression is used to analyze data from 412 married men who were surveyed at baseline of an ICDDR,B male involvement project. Although household-level distribution of female methods is associated with higher overall contraceptive prevalence, the proportion of male to female method use is lower in areas with long-term intensive doorstep delivery, as is male involvement generally. The implications of failing to include men in contraceptive decision-making historically are discussed, and rationales and strategies for increased male involvement are proposed.