Knowledge and attitude of men about vasectomy as a method of family planning among married men working in Babcock University, Ogun state, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the level of knowledge and attitude of married male workers about vasectomy and also the factors influencing the attitude of married men working in Babcock University towards vasectomy. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select 200 participants from the academic and administrative work divisions of the University and a self-constructed questionnaire was administered and 150 were retrieved  and analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that majority (42.7%) of the participants were between the ages of 31 to 40 years, Christians (97.3%), of the Yoruba tribe (55.3%), had a bachelor’s degree (46%) and were non-academic staff (53.3%). Majority (38%) of participants had adequate knowledge and 62.7% had positive attitude towards vasectomy. There was no association between participants’ level of education and their level of knowledge of vasectomy,  however, a significant association was observed between participants’ level of knowledge and their attitude towards vasectomy (χ2cal= 53.89, P≤0.05). The risk of spouse’s health (54%) was the major factor influencing positive attitude and the need of more children (41.3%) was the main factor influencing negative attitude towards vasectomy.  There is therefore need to develop awareness programs in order to equip the population with valid information and thus increasing their knowledge about vasectomy. Specific strategies should be developed in order to tackle the identified barriers hindering the acceptance of vasectomy among married men.   Key words: Knowledge, attitude, vasectomy, family planning, married men.