Male Attitudes to Family Planning in the Era of HIV/AIDS: Evidence from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Men have an instrumental role to play in reproductive decision-making and their attitudes may have a significant impact on fertility decisions and family planning. This article presents findings from a qualitative study of male attitudes towards family planning in the province of Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa. The study found that there is strong male approval of family planning as a method of fertility regulation. However, with reference to condoms as a specific method of contraception, although men's knowledge of condoms is relatively good, they are not a popular method of family planning and there is much male resistance to their use. An important reason is that condoms are associated with illicit sex and promiscuity. They are thus unlikely to be used in stable, ongoing relationships. These negative attitudes are major obstacles to the development of condom use as a means of protecting against the spread of HIV.