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| ORAL PRESENTATIONS |
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| Year : 2021 | Volume
: 6
| Issue : 1 | Page : 99-100 |
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Involvement of Married Men in Female Reproductive Health
Krukrubo Maria Agbata1, Oboro Ibinabo Laura2
1 Royal Health Organization International
2 University of Port Harcourt
| Date of Web Publication | 30-Jun-2021 |
Correspondence Address:
Krukrubo Maria Agbata
Royal Health Organization International
Oboro Ibinabo Laura
University of Port Harcourt
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
How to cite this article:
Agbata KM, Laura OI. Involvement of Married Men in Female Reproductive Health. J Med Womens Assoc Niger 2021;6:99-100 |
| Introduction | |  |
For over 20 years, the United Nations and its various agencies have advocated for improved male involvement in reproductive issues concerning their wives, daughters and by extension, other female family members. This has been associated with improved reproductive health outcome.
| Aim | | |
This study aimed to ascertain the extent to which married men are willing to get involved in the reproductive health of their wives and their awareness of female genital mutilation (FGM) its consequences and Vesico-vagina Fistula (VVF).
| Method | | |
105 well-structured questionnaires were administered to married men in Port Hacourt, River State Nigeria. Te questionnaire sought Information on:
- Socio-demographics
- Willingness to participate in specific reproductive health processes involving their partners and
- To determine their knowledge on key reproductive health issues.
| Result | | |
The modal age for the study was 41-50 years, most, 55.2% had tertiary education and 45.7% had been married for 10 years or less. A large proportion of interviewed men were willing to participate in antenatal and perinatal activities.
| Health Issues | | |
60% had never heard of VVF as opposed to 74.3% who were aware of FGM with 44.8% study participants aware of the existence of laws against FGM in Rivers State. Only very few men (2.9% and 1.9%) were aware of obstructed labor and fetal death respectively, as possible complications from FGM.
| Conclusion / Recommendation | | |
Males seem quite interested in and willing to get more involved in the reproductive health issues of their wives. However, they are still quite very poor in the knowledge base required to make the right decisions regarding their female family members especially when potential reproductive health crisis arises.
We therefore recommend that;
- Avenues be sought to improve the knowledge base of men of marriageable age, such as in male clubs, groups and religious institutions, to empower them to take favorable decisions for better reproductive health outcomes and indeed improved maternal and child health indices.
- Incorporate Health Education on Reproductive Health in Secondary and Tertiary Institution's curricula to catch them young.
- Reproductive health education should not be focused on females as tend to be in the African setting.
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