Men's Attitude towards Contraceptive Use in Ethiopia: A Multilevel Analysis of 2000 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey

Abstract

In Ethiopia, family planning program is women slanting. Men '.r exclusion from
family planning strongly affects their preferred family size and attitude towards
cOnlraceptive use. Some researchers also concluded toot women's attitude towards
contraception is strongly affected by their husband's attitudes. This article is
designed to examine the influence of husband's attitude towards couple's current
contraceptive use in Ethiopia. The 2000 Ethiopian Demographic Health Su",ey data
is used as main data source. The qualitative data is also collected rhrough in·depth
inte",iew from thirty·six currently married men in four regions (Tigray, Amhara,
Oromiya and SNNPR). BOlh bivariate and multivariate analyses are applied in the
study. Multilevel modeling was also further developed to identify the possible
community level variation on couple 's current contraceptive use. Both bivariate and
multivariate analysis results showed that husband's approval of contraceptive /Lie
and couple communicarion are statistically signijicanJ (at p<O.OI level of
significance) in contraceptive use, indicating that husbands who approve and discuss
family planning with partners oove positive altitude towards contraceptive use.
Moreover, significant community level variations have beet! found in the multilevel
model, demonstraring rhe existence of variation in husbands' attitude towards
contraceptive use across communities. The author suggests thaI the policy effort
should be made to enable men for realizing the positive consequence of their
approval and discussion regarding family planning. Furthermore, the exisringfamily
planning program in Ethiopia should focus on changing men's altitude towards
family planning.