Men as supportive partners in reproductive health: moving from rhetoric to reality.

This report builds on presentations and discussions of the workshop on “Men as Supportive Partners in Reproductive and Sexual Health” held in Kathmandu Nepal in 1998. It documents and analyzes the experiences of nongovernmental organizations in addressing the issue of male partnership in India. Overall the experiences documented reveal that the importance within reproductive health programs is truly beginning to be understood and addressed at the grassroots level. An important finding has been that health and well-being should be approached in a holistic manner whereby the family is seen as a unit and a comprehensive package of health services is delivered according to the specific needs of the respective members of the family. Women were also noted to want and need the support and understanding of their partners and family across a range of reproductive health subjects. It is also recognized that men are interested in becoming more supportive and involved in all reproductive health domains and that they have reproductive health needs of their own which are rarely addressed. Moreover health care providers and community outreach workers usually need additional specialized training and support before they can address the gender and sexuality issues that underlie greater involvement of men in reproductive health care. Timing location and structure of interventions can encourage or discourage partner involvement. Future interventions for the promotion of male partnerships are cited.