Exploring the Male Perspectives Regarding the Need for Postpartum Contraception in Their Female Partners: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Husbands in India.
Source: PubMed, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine
Background Postpartum contraception is vital for maternal and neonatal health. In India, male partners play a decisive role in reproductive choices, yet their perspectives on postpartum contraception remain underexplored. Understanding men's knowledge, beliefs, fears, attitudes, and practices is crucial for improving contraceptive uptake and promoting shared decision-making in family planning. We aimed to design a study to explore Indian men's perspectives regarding postpartum contraception. Materials and methods A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted over one year at a tertiary care teaching hospital in India after obtaining institutional ethics approval. A total of 1560 husbands of antenatal and postpartum women were recruited after informed consent. A semi-quantitative 20-item questionnaire assessed five domains: knowledge, beliefs, fears, attitudes, and practices. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25, with descriptive statistics and chi-square tests;<0.05 was considered significant. Results The mean participant age was 31.2±4.9 years, with near-equal urban and rural representation. While 76.1% were aware of the need for birth spacing, only 48.6% recognized early return of fertility postpartum. About 83.6% believed contraception was necessary, and 70.5% considered it safe for their wives. However, misconceptions persisted: 39.7% feared adverse effects on lactation and 35.4% on infant growth. Although 73.2% desired involvement in contracept
Abstract
Background Postpartum contraception is vital for maternal and neonatal health. In India, male partners play a decisive role in reproductive choices, yet their perspectives on postpartum contraception remain underexplored. Understanding men's knowledge, beliefs, fears, attitudes, and practices is crucial for improving contraceptive uptake and promoting shared decision-making in family planning. We aimed to design a study to explore Indian men's perspectives regarding postpartum contraception. Materials and methods A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted over one year at a tertiary care teaching hospital in India after obtaining institutional ethics approval. A total of 1560 husbands of antenatal and postpartum women were recruited after informed consent. A semi-quantitative 20-item questionnaire assessed five domains: knowledge, beliefs, fears, attitudes, and practices. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25, with descriptive statistics and chi-square tests;<0.05 was considered significant. Results The mean participant age was 31.2±4.9 years, with near-equal urban and rural representation. While 76.1% were aware of the need for birth spacing, only 48.6% recognized early return of fertility postpartum. About 83.6% believed contraception was necessary, and 70.5% considered it safe for their wives. However, misconceptions persisted: 39.7% feared adverse effects on lactation and 35.4% on infant growth. Although 73.2% desired involvement in contraceptive decision-making, practices remained female-centric; intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD: 28.3%) and tubal ligation (23.9%) were preferred for partners, while only 14.4% of men expressed willingness for vasectomy. Conclusion Indian men increasingly acknowledge the importance of postpartum contraception but continue to harbor misconceptions about safety and fertility. Their supportive attitudes contrast with the limited adoption of male methods, reflecting persistent gendered norms. Integrating husbands into antenatal counselling, correcting misconceptions, and promoting male responsibility are key to enhancing contraceptive uptake and achieving equitable family planning outcomes.