Contraceptive knowledge use and attitudes among Dominican men: results from the 1984 Male Contraceptive Prevalence Survey.

This paper presents preliminary results from an experimental Contraceptive Prevalence Survey (CPS) in the Dominican Republic aimed at men 15-59 years of age. In addition the results of the male CPS are compared with those obtained 9 months earlier in a CPS aimed at females 15-49 years of age. 43.5% of male respondents compared with only 29.2% of female respondents were single reflecting the fact that males in the Dominican Republic tend to enter stable unions 5-10 years later than females. Men have fewer children than women when they are young but increase their fertility during the middle years and maintain higher levels into the older age groups. The total fertility rate for men ages 15-49 years was 4.2 (4.6 for those 15-59 years) while that for women was 4.1. Over 90% of male respondents in union could name at least 1 method of family planning and 20.5% of them were using a method at the time of the survey. Rates were almost identical for urban (20.0%) and rural (21.3%) men. The most popular method was rhythm (8.6%) followed by withdrawal (6.6%) and condoms (5.2%). The female CPS indicated that 45.7% of women in a union use a family planning method primarily sterilization (27.4%). Over 1/2 of men with 2 or more living children and 1/2 of women with 1 or more children stated that they did not desire additional children. Of interest was the finding that a much higher percentage of women believed that their spouses wanted more children than the male CPS indicated. Although over 94% of male respondents approved of at least 1 female method of fertility control they differed in terms of the specific method supported. Only 37% would approve of their wifes use of oral contraceptives whereas 84% approved of female sterilization. Rates were higher among men whose wives were actually using a method. Only 14.8% of male respondents indicated they would consider male sterilization. Data collected from the male CPS should facilitate development of more effective female family planning delivery systems and lay the basis for enhanced male participation. It is recommended that similar surveys should be conducted in other Latin American countries.