Perception and Attitude Towards Male Participation in Family Planning in Colomadu, Karanganyar, Central Java

Background: Family planning services have traditionally targeted women. However, there is recognition that reproductive health is the joint responsibility of men and women. Given that men often have significant influences on a couple‘s contraceptive use, male participation is crucial to the success of family planning programs and associated with better outcomes in reproductive health. While there are many possible factors affecting male participation in contraceptive, there is a lack of empirical studies supporting it in Indonesia. This study aimed to investigate the perception and attitude of husbands toward male participation in family planning in Colomadu, Karanganyar, Central Java, Indonesia. Subjects and Method: This was a qualitative study with phenomenology approach, conducted at Bolon Village, Colomadu, Surakarta, Central Java. A total of 5 husbands was selected purposively. The dependent variable was male participation in using contraceptive. The independent variables were perception and attitude. The data were collected by indepth interview and direct observation. The data were analyzed descriptively. Results: Generally, there were differences in perception and attitude based on the knowledge of husband. Most husbands felt sorry for the side effects of contraceptive use that their wives experienced. Husbands had positive attitude towards male participation in contraceptive use if it were offered voluntarily without coercion. Husbands had positive perception on male participation in family planning program as it might reduce the inadvertent risk of wives posed by contraceptive use. Conclusion: Husbands have positive perception and attitude towards male participation in family planning, although there actual participation in contraceptive use remains low. Keywords: male participation, family planning, contraceptive use, perception, attitud