Engaging Afghan men at a societal level to increase women's access to contraception
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3699814 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Andrew Macnab (0000-0002-8583-2986, corresponding author), Wais Aria, Josephine De Freitas |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Publication date | 2019-12-16 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Medicine Anthropology Theory (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2405-691X • E-ISSN: 2405-691X |
| Publisher | Edinburgh University Library (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.17157/mat.6.4.732 |
| OpenAlex | W2996104693 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 5 |
Mother and child mortality rates in Afghan internally displaced person (IDP) camps are high. Most women have unplanned pregnancies; many are child brides. Contraception can lower maternal mortality/morbidity from unintended pregnancy and short birth intervals, but in Afghan culture men make health decisions. Using knowledge of Afghan society gleaned from Afghan health workers, we trained respected elders and imams to start men's groups to share practical, financial, and religious facts about contraception and promote discussion. The aim was to inform and allay misconceptions and fears so informed spousal conversation could occur; the overall objective was to allow women wanting spaced pregnancies or smaller families to gain spousal understanding and approval for use of contraception. Societal responses were monitored for one year among nine hundred families in three IDP camps where weekly men's groups were conducted. Taking photographs captured unique ethnographic aspects of the intervention especially for those involved in this research who were not in Afghanistan and hence missed being directly engaged with the community. The maternal and infant health challenges and cultural issues addressed are global in nature; this model is globally applicable to other camps and Islamic societies
Afghan · Child marriage · Environmental health · Geography · Islam · Political science · Population · Reproductive health · Sociology · Demography · Global Maternal and Child Health · Health and Conflict Studies · Law · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Nursing · Psychology
Community participation
Effects of preceding birth intervals on neonatal, infant and under‐five years mortality and nutritional status in developing countries
Videotaped interviews as a medium to enhance cross-cultural programme evaluation
Couples and Reproductive Health
Encouraging Contraceptive Uptake by Motivating Men to Communicate About Family Planning
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |