RTI International Philippines, Pasig City, Philippines.
Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
Glob Health Sci Pract. 2024 Oct 29;12(5). doi: 10.9745/GHSP-D-24-00229.
Despite global consensus on the importance of male involvement in family planning, disparities persist in low- and middle-income countries, where women continue to bear the responsibility for these initiatives. The Philippines, with a high fertility rate and unmet family planning needs, exemplifies this challenge. We present the experiences and lessons learned from implementing the no-scalpel vasectomy (NSV) program in Davao City, showcasing its potential for increasing male engagement in family planning decisions. Launched in 2008, the program aimed to address gender disparity by promoting NSV as a safe and effective contraceptive alternative to female-centric methods. Through the use of culturally sensitive information campaigns and couple-focused counseling, the program challenged traditional notions of masculinity and encouraged shared decision-making. Strong local government commitment and public-private partnerships played key roles in driving the program's success. Results showed an average annual increase of 80% in NSV clients over the past 3 years compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring its effectiveness. The program presents a compelling intervention model for similar initiatives, highlighting how overcoming cultural barriers, infrastructure limitations, and budgetary constraints through policy advocacy, strategic partnerships, and tailored approaches can significantly boost male involvement in family planning and improve reproductive health outcomes within communities.
尽管全球范围内都认同男性参与计划生育的重要性，但在中低收入国家，男女在承担计划生育责任方面仍存在差距，菲律宾就是一个典型的例子。该国生育率高，计划生育需求未得到满足。我们介绍了在达沃市实施无刀输精管切除术（NSV）项目的经验和教训，展示了该项目在增加男性参与计划生育决策方面的潜力。该项目于 2008 年启动，旨在通过推广 NSV 作为一种安全有效的避孕方法，替代以女性为中心的方法，以解决性别差距问题。通过使用文化敏感的信息宣传和夫妻为中心的咨询，该项目挑战了传统的男性观念，并鼓励共同决策。地方政府的坚定承诺和公私合作伙伴关系在推动该项目成功方面发挥了关键作用。结果显示，在过去 3 年中，与 COVID-19 大流行前相比，NSV 客户的平均年增长率达到了 80%，这突显了该项目的有效性。该项目为类似的倡议提供了一个引人注目的干预模式，强调了如何通过政策倡导、战略伙伴关系和量身定制的方法克服文化障碍、基础设施限制和预算限制，从而大大提高男性参与计划生育的程度，并改善社区内的生殖健康结果。
