Family Planning in Africa: Old Belief and New Perspective

Abstract

This article reviews the underlying assumption of most family planning programmes in Africa. The results show that the hypothesis that African men oppose the use of contraceptive methods is erroneous. Rather, current data reveal that men want to learn more about birth control. Also, most men and women believe that husbands are the primary decision-makers of reproductive and sexual lives. A new perspective for men's involvement programmes is then provided as a route to low fertility in Africa.