Sijunjung, West Sumatra (ANTARA) – Strong stigma and myths are posing a hurdle to improving men’s participation in the family planning program in Indonesia, head of the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) Hasto Wardoyo has said.
“Male’s health is also very important, men’s role is important,” he told ANTARA here on Tuesday.
Much like mothers, the role of fathers in using contraception is very important for building a quality family, he said.
The involvement of fathers in planning pregnancies can help reduce the prevalence of childhood stunting, which stands at 24.4 percent nationally, by ensuring a birth gap between children.
“Unfortunately, the utilization of family planning among men is still low. It only reaches two percent and it becomes five percent if those who utilize safety devices such as condoms are included,” Wardoyo pointed out.
The low interest in the family planning program is due to the prevailing stigma that family planning utilization must only be focused on women, he opined.
“This is why men’s role in family planning is important, I believe that this is related to gender justice. Men and women should be equal (when it comes to their responsibilities regarding planning a family),” he said.
Moreover, he said, there is a myth that men who opt for family planning will not be strong or fertile, and this notion must be disproved.
Other challenges include a lack of alternatives for men to participate in family planning. Thus far, there are only two types of family planning methods that men can use, namely condoms and vasectomy.
Wardoyo encouraged all men who already have many children to actively participate in family planning.
If they already have two children and their wife’s age is above 35 years, then it is time for men to resort to family planning, he said.
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