Relationship Between Social Gender Perception and Use of Family Planning Among Married Men in Eastern Turkey

Objective: The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between social gender perception and use of family planning among married men. Material and Methods: This relational descriptive study consisted of 354 males admitted to Family Health Center (FHC). The present study was conducted at 1st FHC in Adiyaman province in the eastern Turkey between May 22, 2017 and January 22, 2018. The population of the study consisted of 4345 married men aged 20 to 55 years registered at this FHC. Power analysis determined the sample size of the study as at least 354 individuals with an error level of 0.05, a confidence level of 95%. Results: In the study, the Female Gender Roles score was 21.3 +/- 5.3 for males using a family planning (FP) method, whereas 18.7 +/- 5.9 for those who did not use (p <0.05 p=0.001). Moreover, mean Traditional Gender Roles score was higher in males using a FP method (23.1 +/- 6.4) than those who did not use (20.8 +/- 6.4) (p <0.05 (p=0.001). It was determined that males, who used any FP method and stated that responsibility for using a FP belongs to both genders, had a more egalitarian attitude towards gender role. Conclusion: These results suggest that gender perception of married men has impact on the use of family planning.