The Dynamics of Knowledge And Perception About Male Contraceptive Among Male In Rural Indonesia

Abstract

Family planning has become a major strategy of population control at the national and global level. Yet, male participation remains low especially in rural areas due partly to lack of adequate knowledge and poor perception about the need to utilize male contraceptive methods. Family planning was also perceived as a woman's things which make men feel uncomfortable with it. This study aimed to examine factors related to male contraceptive utilization in Indonesia rural area. We used data from Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey (IDHS) 2007 and 2012. Information of 10.137 rural married men was examined to determine the relation between socio-economic factors (education, literacy, wealth, and occupation), knowledge, perception of male contraceptive and media exposure with male contraceptive utilization. Male contraceptive utilization from 2007 to 2012 showed a decline (3.3% to 3%) but there were positive changes in condom used (0.7% to 1%) and withdrawal method (1.1% to1.2%). Awareness of family planning also increased through increasing knowledge of modern contraceptive method from 89.6% to 94.7%. Male knowledge also perception about condom were remains good and stable (over 96%). Perception that condom diminishes the pleasure decreased from 1.4% to 0.16%. On the contrary knowledge and perception about male sterilization were still poor and were not much change. Majority of man still assume that sterilization was not an effective method for family planning, the operation is unsafe, sterilization is not simple operation and expensive. However there were a little increasing proportion intention of male who would consider to do sterilization after having all the children wanted (1.6% to 2.4%). It also find perception of contraceptive still a woman's business increased (31.8% to 44.6%). This revealed that social construction of patriarchy is the primary barrier to the uptake of male contraceptive. Sosio economic factors (education, occupation) and radio as media exposure related to male contraceptive utilization. Male participation in contraceptives were not increased and it were influenced by wide array of factors. Thus this study recommended there must be wide spreed information, education and communication spesific about male contraceptive in rural areas. Strengthen the role and commitment of male family planning motivator and peer group in order to achieved desired behavioral change towards family planning that man also responsible for family planning