MALE INVOLVEMENT IN FAMILY PLANING AT COUNTY REFERAL HOSPITAL KAKAMEGA, KENYA

Introduction: Male involvement in family planning is one of the strategies that were embraced in the International Conference on Population and Development meeting held in Cairo 1994 to help reduce the increasing population in Africa and elsewhere in the world. This study will investigate the common methods of family planning used currently; knowledge practice and attitude of men toward the use of the family planning methods, and the factors that hinder or encourage men to get involved family planning and hence determine family size. Main objective: The main aim of this study is to determine the factors affecting male involvement in family planning in Sichilayi sub location. Hypothesis: There is a relationship between knowledge level of family planning and uptake by men in Sichirai sub-location Methodology: This study adopted the cross sectional research design. Snowball non-probability sampling technique was used in this study. Few respondents from Sichirayi sub-location were identified in Kakamega town, and then they were requested to provide information that will help the data collectors identify more respondents within the town. Data analysis: Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive statistic was used to compute chi square for contingency tables and inferences for chi square test will be based on p-value. Statistical significance will be considered when the p value will be below or equal to 0.05. Focused group discussion responses will be grouped into themes then analyzed. Results: The study found high prevalence of knowledge of contraceptive methods among married men, low utilization of male methods of family planning. Men?s attitude about FP was also found to be good since most of the men were of the idea that they have a role in FP. This was the opposite of the result of another study done in Bangladesh in 2011 that found very poor attitude of men towards use of FP.