Will Australian men use male hormonal contraception? A survey of a postpartum population

Abstract

Aim: To survey the attitudes of a population of Australian men to potential use of male hormonal contraception (MHC). Design: Survey of male partners of women who had recently given birth. Men were approached while visiting their female partners on the ward. Participants: 118 out of 148 Australian‐born English‐speaking men who were approached. Setting: Postnatal ward of Monash Medical Centre (a public teaching hospital in Melbourne), between October 2000 and April 2001. Main outcome measure: Attitudes towards potential use of MHC, rated on a five‐point scale. Results: 89/118 men surveyed (75.4%; 95% CI, 67.7%–83.2%) indicated that they would consider trying MHC if it were available. The three most popular choices for method of administration of MHC were (in descending order) an oral pill, a three‐monthly injection, or a two‐yearly injection. A statistically significant association was found between acceptability of vasectomy and acceptability of MHC (70.5% of men who indicated they would try MHC [MHC “triers”] found vasectomy acceptable versus 44.5% of MHC “non‐triers”; P = 0.011). Triers reported a higher rate of approval of MHC by their female partners than non‐triers (79.8% v 13.8%, respectively; P < 0.0001). Conclusions: MHC appears to be acceptable to a majority of Australian men when surveyed in a postpartum context. Attitudes of men towards existing male contraception, as well as the attitudes of their partners, appear to exert a strong influence on acceptability of MHC.