Male support for family planning and contraceptive use by their partners during the COVID-19 pandemic in selected states in Nigeria - a qualitative explorative study

Sep 28, 2026

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted access to health and social services, including family planning (FP) and contraceptive support. In Nigeria, a qualitative exploratory study examined how men supported FP access and their partners’ contraceptive use during the pandemic across selected states. Researchers collected data from women of reproductive age and their male partners using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, with transcripts analyzed using content analysis. Findings describe decision-making dynamics and multiple forms of male involvement, informing recommendations to increase male engagement and joint couple decisions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

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Plain language summary

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Akande etal. Reproductive Health (2025) 22:275 Reproductive Health [https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-025-02230-8](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-025-02230-8) RESEARCH Open Access Male support for family planning and contraceptive use by their partners during the COVID-19 pandemic in selected states in Nigeria: a qualitative explorative study Tanimola M. Akande 1*, Adesola Oluwafunmilola Olumide2*, Abiodun S. Adeniran 1, Oloruntomiwa Oyetunde2, Taiwo Gbol uwaga Amole3, Maryam Jimoh4, Olufemi A. Fawole 1, Babatunde Oluwagbayela2, Komal Preet Allagh5 and Rita Kabra5 Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic affected all facets of life, including access to health and other social services. The World Health Organization conducted a multi-country mixed methods study in India, Nigeria and Tanzania to assess the impact of the pandemic on family planning (FP) access, and the health system's capacity to provide FP and contraceptive services. In this paper, we share results of the qualitative aspect of the study that explored men’s support for FP and contraceptive use by their partners during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Methods A qualitative exploratory study was conducted in rural and urban communities in Kano, Kwara, and Oyo states of Nigeria among women of reproductive age and their male partners. One hundred and forty-seven women and 95 male partners were purposively selected, and they participated in 68 in-depth interviews and 21 focus group discussions. The interviews and discussions were digitally recorded and subsequently transcribed. Data were organized using ATLAS.ti and analysed using content analysis. Results The mean age of the respondents was 34.4 ± 10.9 years, 90% were married, and 74% had at least secondary education. In Kano, decisions regarding FP and contraceptive use were majorly made by men alone, whereas in Kwara and Oyo states, decisions were often made jointly by the couple. The other forms of male support reported were largely comparable in the three study states. For example, communicating with their female partners about FP, providing practical support such as financial assistance and transportation, accompanying their partners to health facilities or drug stores to procure contraception, offering physical support during the procedure and emotional support. Use of contraceptive methods by men, which is a direct form of support was not frequently reported. *Correspondence: Tanimola M. Akande [akandetm@unilorin.edu.ng](akandetm@unilorin.edu.ng)[ ](akandetm@unilorin.edu.ng)Adesola Oluwafunmilola Olumide[aool umide@com.ui.edu.ng](aool umide@com.ui.edu.ng) Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit [http://creativecommons.org/l](http://creativecommons.org/l)icenses/by/4.0/. Conclusions Males played notable roles in supporting their partners to obtain FP and contraception during the pandemic. We recommend implementing interventions that encourage greater male involvement in FP, as well as interventions that promote joint decision-making between couples in settings where decisions are mostly taken by men alone. Plain language summary Family plan

FAQs

What was the study’s focus regarding family planning during the COVID-19 pandemic?

The study explored men’s support for family planning and their partners’ contraceptive use during the COVID-19 pandemic in selected Nigerian states.

How was the qualitative data collected and analyzed?

Women of reproductive age and their male partners participated in 68 in-depth interviews and 21 focus group discussions. Data were digitally recorded, transcribed, organized using ATLAS.ti, and analyzed through content analysis.

How did decision-making about FP and contraceptive use differ across states?

In Kano, decisions about FP and contraceptive use were mainly made by men alone, while in Kwara and Oyo decisions were more often made jointly by the couple.

What male support actions were commonly reported?

Reported support included discussing FP needs, providing practical help such as funds and transportation, accompanying partners to facilities or drug stores, and offering physical and emotional support during procedures.

Sep 28, 2026

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