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Abstract:
A better understanding of the role men play
in women’s reproductive health can have a
significant impact on women and can improve
the effectiveness of family planning
programs. Men’s opposition to contraception
and men’s fertility preferences can affect
women’s unmet need for family planning. While
women’s fertility, fertility preferences, and
use of reproductive health services are well
understood, there is a lack of research on
men and reproductive health. Surveys of male
populations provide useful information on how
men perceive, define, or act out their roles
in matters of family planning and fertility.
A better understanding of men’s perceptions
and preferences can support evidence-based
male sexual and reproductive health programs
and improve their effectiveness.
This report focuses on current use of modern
contraception and fertility preferences among
men age 15-49 in Myanmar. To study the
predictors of current modern contraceptive
use and fertility preferences among men, we
conducted a secondary data analysis using the
2015-16 Myanmar Demographic and Health
Survey. The study population for the use of
modern contraception was sexually active men,
and for fertility preferences it was
currently married men.
The results showed that 39% of married men
were currently using modern contraception at
the time of the survey, and 60% said they
would like to have more than two children.
The results of multiple logistic regression
indicated that men living in the coastal,
delta, and plain regions were more likely to
use modern contraception compared with men
living in the hilly region. Regarding
occupation, professional men, clerical manual
workers and agricultural workers had higher
levels of modern contraceptive use compared
with jobless men. Men in the middle household
wealth quintile used modern contraception
methods more than the poorest quintile.
Although the prevalence of modern
contraceptive use was higher among men who
desired more than two children, it was not a
statistically significant factor. Fertility
preference for more than two children was
higher among men living in the coastal, and
plain regions compared with the hilly region.
Men with a higher level of education were
less likely to want to have more than two
children compared with men with no education.
These findings suggest that future policies
and programs should focus on addressing
regional disparities in accessibility and
availability of modern contraception by
maintaining the quality of family planning
services, especially for men in the hilly
region and for men without jobs. Future
interventions for promoting men’s
contraception should be considered to bundle
with local job agencies and occupational
health services by improving awareness of
family planning among men
Predictors of Modern Contraceptive Use and Fertility Preferences among Men in Myanmar: Further Analysis of the 2015-16 Demographic and Health Survey (PDF, 409K)