1.1 Introduction
Family planning, also referred to as birth control, is the process of limiting the number of children that a couple want to have by the use of contraceptive methods. Jeoffery (2004) lends support to the idea that family planning is a tool used by individuals or couples to mutually agree on a spacing of childbirth intervals so as to have children that they can easily care for or support. Through a review of the literature, the purpose of this report is to get an understanding of the factors that influence family planning decisions made by reproductive age women in Northern Nigeria.
Additionally, it will employ facility-level data and household survey data to evaluate changes in the usage of modern contraceptives, and a qualitative study will contextualize the quantitative findings.
This chapter will address the background information that motivated this study, the challenges that prompted it, its aim, and its objectives as a preface to subsequent sections of the study. Additional factors include the study's significance, scope, limitations, research questions and hypotheses, and the definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Family planning is nothing new in society; in fact, it has been practiced for so long in industrialized nations that many in less developed nations are unable to identify it. in the field of study, it was customary for a woman to send her newborn to her mother, who would care for him or her for a year or two. Her time with her mother was intended to be used for nursing the child before she returned to her husband. In this manner, natural child spacing occurred without being enjoyed. However, the clear issues of violence against both born and unborn children led to the invention of family planning in Nigeria. These reasons were based on child jumping that is a child that is unwanted can be dump into the street, gutter, mot, some are found in front of orphanage, bush part and to public toilet. In 1954, Adeniyi Jones established the first family planning centre in Nigeria she continue without support until 1969 when pathfinder provide fund to sustain the programme.
Fortunately for her in 1984 The family planning centre of Nigeria (FCN) was further organized for woman for better services. This include provision of family planning methods to improve maternal mortality and those with health risk 1989, president Ibrahim Babagida limited the number of children to 4 (four) per parent or couple, this programme was very good but could not be sustained because of poor service and management. in the word of Gribbe, J. (2008) cited in Mabel Oshomah work he opine that “family planning can be better explained as being a situation where people have children by choice and not by change”, to him the happiness of the family squarely depend on the number of children a family has to cater for.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) (2002) conceptive is a drug or device used to prevent woman from getting pregnant, this can sometimes be called birth control according to (FPA) Family Planning Association. It is discussed as a special device that prevents fertilization of egg in the ovum by special device used to limit reproduction, which provide a safe and effective way to regulate fertility of the womb. An individual, his spouse, and their offspring comprise a family. The guy plans and assigns resources to important areas that require improvement because he is the head of the family or household. Should Gribble, J. (2008) indicate that a family's contentment is associated with its size, a guy ought to choose a course of action that will not only enhance the family's well-being but also satisfy his ambition to support a family. He needs to take part in family planning since no man would rather spend his money on unsatisfactory education, amusement, or a decent and comfortable home for the family than on bills for medical care, child care, or sickness.
The President of Nigeria, his Excellency, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was quoted in Vanguard newspaper on June 28, 2012 saying “Nigeria families should have only the children they can afford. To ensure this order was followed, a new Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN) was created. He said it may be time for birth control legislation. Family planning, until recently, a very sensitive subject in Africa, is now very increasingly accepted as a necessary ingredient of socio-economic development. It is now thought to be an important health measure that contributes to the health of parents, children and the entire nation. Because of the great effect over population has on socio-economic status, education and health in general, a full understanding of this phenomenon and the major factors governing it are essential, thus the need to adopt family as a means of checking the escalating birthrate cannot be over emphasized.
Unfortunately, this idea is not adequately emphasized on, especially in the rural areas, where it was observed that they g=have a high regard for large families and children are seen as a blessing from God. They believed that the more children a man has, the more hands to help with work especially on the farm. It is also believed that children give status to a women and security in old age. In Oghara-efe Community in Delta State, it was observed that husband often make sexual demands with little or no consideration for material health and the children’s survival. They compound their wives potential mortality rate by either not allowing her to seek family planning, advice or will not seek it as a collection responsibility. This present mentality in Oghara-efe community and its consequent socio-economic, educational and health effect on the villagers makes it important for this study to be carried out. Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Knowledge and Perception of Married Men towards Family Planning.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that the issue of family planning all over the world has attracted attention due to it important in decision making about population growth and development issues. Uncontrolled birth is a major contributing factor of an increase in the world’s population, particularly in Nigeria. Statistics shows that the population of the world was about one billion in 1859 in 1930, the population had doubled (two billion) in 1976, the total population was said to be four billion. Today, it is more than six billion, with Nigeria having a population of over 162 million, thus being the largest country in Africa and the 7th in the world map (United States Census Buxau, 2010). Specifically, in the study, the researcher postulated the following research problem or identified the following problems;
- Married men is often blame for the size of the family when the number of child is high.
- Married men often complain of lack of support from their spouse or wife.
- Married men do not relate the issues of contraceptive or family planning to spouse until its result in an unwanted pregnancy.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to examine the Knowledge and Perception of Married Men towards Family Planning. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To examine the level of knowledge of family planning among married men;
- To ascertain the perception of married men on benefit of family planning;
- To determine the knowledge of married men on family planning;
- To determine the perception of married men on family planning; and
- To Proffer solution or recommendation that will further improve on the existing use of contraceptive method and to further open the eyes of the married men in full participation in family planning.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Does the health of married men influence the attitude of women towards Family Planning?
- What is the knowledge of married men in on family planning?
- What is the perception of married men on family planning?
- What is the knowledge and benefits of married men on family planning?
- What is the level of knowledge of family planning among married men in the area under study?
1.6 Significance of Study
This study shall bring about recommendations that will serve as eye opener to the married men in area of lacking active part or participation in family planning by bringing out the need for me to encourage their wife use of family planning method financial emotional, psychologically and emotionally.
Promotion of family planning and contraceptive use is highly adopted by the international community as one of the strategy to reduce the maternal mortality and to reach the Millennium Development Goals. Africa characterized by high rate of lack to contraceptive access reaching 57% and this lack lead to unwanted pregnancies, increased demand to abortion and death related to unsafe abortion.
This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
