Most family-planning methods and services focus primarily on women. Pregnancy and its prevention do most directly affect women, as well as any children they might conceive. This does not mean that family planning is exclusively a women's issue. It is the right and responsibility of men. It takes two to either prevent or seek a pregnancy.
Encouraging Male Partnership
Globally, increasing numbers of men aspire to be genuine, nonviolent partners with women in childrearing and in decisions about sex and family planning. More family planning workers now counsel men to communicate openly about reproductive health with their partners and back women's contraceptive choices. Researchers are investigating new male contraceptives. In the meantime, more family-planning providers promote available male methods, namely vasectomy and the male condom.
Vasectomy
Vasectomy, or male sterilization, is a safe and uncomplicated surgery that keeps sperm cells out of a man's semen. It is for people who have decided not to have any more or any children. Reversal surgeries are difficult, expensive and unlikely to result in pregnancy. Vasectomy is even more effective than female sterilization. It does not make a man impotent or harm his sex drive.
Male Condom
The male condom is a sheath the man places over his penis before sex to keep his sperm cells out of his partner's vagina. Used correctly each time, condoms can be highly effective in preventing pregnancy. Unless they are made of lamb skin, condoms also protect against sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. Most condoms are made of latex. If you or your partner are sensitive or allergic to latex, use polyurethane condoms instead.
Dual Protection
Dual protection means prevention of both pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases at the same time. One example is abstinence by both partners, whether they refrain from all sex or only from penis-vagina sex. Another example is mutual monogamy with use of a single, effective contraceptive method. In many situations, the most effective dual protection is use of condoms plus hormonal contraceptives such as "the pill," or for those who have completed their families, condoms plus male or female sterilization.
Other Ways to Partnership
No matter what the method or methods, men and women can become partners in family planning. Men can accompany women to health appointments and help them obtain and properly use family-planning supplies. For example, if a woman is on the pill and has difficulty remembering when to take it, her partner could agree to remind her. Men and women can jointly decide if and when to seek conception. Though only women can carry and nurse babies, men can find many ways to share the pleasures and responsibilities of children, starting in pregnancy.
