Table 5 Contraception counselling and provision in MENA: characteristics of users and health care professionals

Knowledge

• UAE: most men aware of availability of male contraceptive methods, only few currently used them, mainly condoms, and only 1.1% were sterilized. Few thought that contraceptive pills/ monthly injection for men are available [90].

• Jordan: most men heard about family planning, most commonly intrauterine device and oral contraceptives [91].

• Iraq: decreased knowledge regarding correct condom use and its effectiveness for contraception/ STIs prevention [92].

• Egypt: most secondary-school pupils knew about contraception, girls had more information [93].

Pharmacists: decreased knowledge about male OCPs and their mechanism of action, with negative perceptions towards them. Barriers to male OCPs were cultural norms, side effects, and poor compliance [94].

Attitude

• UAE: majority of men rejected male contraception, due to religious reasons, followed by cultural barriers, personal beliefs, medical disorders and economic factors. Male contraception use significantly associated with high education level of partners, low family size and family income [90].

• Jordan: married men had good attitudes/knowledge about family planning, but only 45.1% currently used contraception. However, most men agreed about a minimum 2 years’ child spacing and starting contraception after childbirth and that husband and wife should share decisions about family planning and number of children [91].

• Sudan: three-fifths of men with reproductive age wives wished to use family planning services but only about one-fifth currently used an effective method. Men were more interested in learning more about female than male sterilization [95].

• Iraq: condoms were rarely used for family planning due to lack of need, fertility-related reasons or use of female contraception methods [92].

• Egypt: secondary-school pupils agreed about using contraceptive methods in the future [93].