Many Malawian men are reported to be shunning family planning contraception methods a development researcher at the Department of Reproductive Health Unit of the University of Malawi has resulted into an increase in maternal and Neonatal deaths.
Briefing the press in Blantyre, Frank Taulo, Head of the Reproductive Health Unit at the university said Malawi continues to experience a population following the reluctance of men to use family planning methods.
“Malawi is experiencing a population explosion due to the reluctance of men that are major decision makers in the family, you can imagine that from a small population of 3 million people in 1964 we are currently at 14 and the explosion has been due to lack of family planning methods, “he said.
He said a research the University recently carried in the lakeshore district of Mangochi on family planning indicated that communities believed that family planning is just about the woman.
“Methods of contraception have been generally denied by communities, out of 100 people legible for contraception only are 41 using contraception and most of these are female, “he said.
He said for instance men in Malawi are refusing vasectomy a development he said made rural women to have more children as opposed to their colleagues in urban areas.
Effie Chipeta training officer at the college said the Promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health Project which is being financed by the Finland Family Planning Association has indicated that Community based distribution approach of contraceptives was the only effective way of encouraging rural communities to use contraception.
She said since the inception of the project in 2000 many people in Mangochi have now started using contraception.
She said with the recent economic crisis people have started to realize the importance of using contraception.
She however said people have been failing to access the services because many clinics were not private when handling clients.
Wanangwa Chimwaza research assistant at for the project said the use of Community Based Distribution Agents has encouraged young people to start accessing contraception.
She said condom use was now very high among the youth.
According to the research contraception use now stands at 44.6 percent from 12 percent in 2000.
“The challenge previously was that the word family planning was associated with married people but now we are young people that are sexually very active to use contraception, “She said.
She however said many youths feel discouraged to seek sexual reproductive health services because the system is not youth friendly.
Another research recently conducted by the ministry of Health in Malawi indicated that 38 percent of Malawians do not have access to contraception resulting into many unplanned pregnancies.
However according to Dr Taulo the coming of HIV has not changed people’s sexual behavior as even those that are HIV positive are risking to becoming pregnant just to prove to the community that they are not positive.