Men, family planning, equity and equality

Quality contents analysis (Grounded Theory) of semi-structured interviews made with 49 men and 92 women about family planning. Further, analysis of 2791 answers to the survey mapping the interest in man’s pill.
Outright majority of men (46) consider parenthood an important part of life and family planning constitutes result of partner negotiation for them. In spite of declared participation in negotiation about parenthood, both men and women perceive contraception rather as a matter of the women. Men are aware of the risks this situation brings to them, but they seem to have resigned from them. They realize that their right to decide whether, when and with whom to have the child is limited, but they justify their lower powers in decision-making by the woman’s higher investment into pregnancy and motherhood.
Negotiating about parenthood is extremely difficult in countries where “pill” is easily accessible. There should be programs to teach equivalent negotiation, focused particularly on men.