Post-abortion contraception, an opportunity for male partners and male contraception

Men who accompany their female partners at the time of an abortion represent a unique population who may be amenable to receiving postabortion contraceptive services. We sought to examine their interest in receiving both counseling and contraception when available.

We analyzed a subset of survey data on the experience of accompanying male partners at the time of an abortion at two urban family planning clinics. We examined their beliefs about shared contraceptive responsibility, attitudes towards participating in contraceptive counseling, and willingness to use novel male contraceptives. We conducted bivariate analyses and logistic regressions for sociodemographic and reproductive factors linked to these outcomes.

Of 210 male partners surveyed at the time of an abortion, nearly three-quarters characterized preventing unwanted pregnancy as a shared responsibility, believed in the importance of attending contraceptive counseling with their female partner, and reported willingness to use novel male contraceptives. Contraceptive method used when discovering the pregnancy was neither linked to men's attitudes towards counseling nor interest in using novel male contraceptives. Individuals between the ages of 25 to 34 (aOR: 2.69; 95%CI: 1.32-5.48), those with a college education (aOR: 5.49; 95%CI: 1.31-22.94), and those who had never experienced abortion (aOR: 2.21; 95%CI: 1.08-4.55) exhibited greater interest in using novel male contraceptives. Black respondents (aOR: 2.33; 95%CI: 1.01-5.38) exhibited greater interest in receiving contraceptive counseling with their partner and a counselor following the abortion.

For male partners, abortion may be an opportunity to engage men in contraceptive counseling and when available, offer new male contraceptives.

As few men receive comprehensive contraceptive counseling, engaging men when they accompany their female partners to family planning clinics may be an additional strategy to prevent unwanted pregnancy.