Study of Male Involvement in Family Planning in Ondo State

Male involvement in family planning is a critically underutilised lever for improving contraceptive uptake in Nigeria, and studying men's awareness and attitudes in Ondo State provides evidence for programming that addresses this gap in South West Nigeria. This study assessed family planning awareness and utilisation among married men aged 20 to 54 in Akure South, Ondo East, and Ifedore Local Government Areas, Ondo State. A cross-sectional survey of 300 married men collected data on knowledge of methods, personal use or support for wife's use, attitudes, influence on reproductive decisions, and ideal family size. General awareness was high at 88.3 percent, but support for wife's use of modern contraception was only 51.0 percent. Active involvement in contraceptive decision-making was reported by 39.7 percent. Ideal family size of five or more children was preferred by 61.7 percent. Religious or cultural objections were cited by 41.3 percent of men opposing family planning. Men with secondary school education or above showed significantly higher support. Recommendations include male-specific family planning counselling, community-based male champion programmes, clergy and traditional leader sensitisation, and integration of male involvement strategies into Ondo State reproductive health policy.

Keywords: male involvement, family planning, Ondo State, contraception, reproductive decisions These findings confirm that culturally adapted male engagement strategies are essential for improving family planning outcomes and reducing fertility in Ondo State.