Abstract

Background: Research in Kenya has focussed on family planning from women’s perspectives, with the aim of
helping reduce the burden of unintended pregnancies. As such, the determinants of modern contraceptive use
among sexually active women are well documented. However, the perspectives of men should be considered not
only as women’s partners, but also as individuals with distinct reproductive histories and desires of their own. This
study seeks to understand the determinants of modern contraceptive use among sexually active men, by exploring
factors that are correlated with modern contraceptive use.

Methods: The data source is the nationally representative 2014 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) of
men aged 15–54 years. The analysis is restricted to 9,514 men who reported being sexually active in the past
12 months prior to the survey, as they were likely to report either doing something or not to avoid or delay
pregnancy. We use bivariate and multinomial logistic regression to assess factors that influence modern
contraceptive use among sexually active men.

Results: Findings from the bivariate and multinomial logistic regression indicate that region of residence, marital
status, religion, wealth, interaction with a health care provider, fertility preference, number of sexual partners and
access to media were all significantly associated with modern contraceptive use among sexually active men.

Conclusion: Provider-client interaction as well as dissemination of information through mass media has the
potential to increase knowledge and uptake of modern contraceptives. Similar efforts targeting segments of the
population where contraceptive uptake is low are recommended.

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Corporate Author: Rhoune Ochako, Marleen Temmerman, Mwende Mbondo, Ian Askew

Source: https://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12978-017-0316-3