The relationship between males' attitudes to partner violence and use of contraceptive methods in Turkey

Abstract

Interventions have been carried out to improve the reproductive health and status of women in Turkey. However, these efforts are limited due to lack of male involvement. Lifestyle risks such as partner violence need to be evaluated in terms of any effects oil the use of contraception. Data collected from interviews of married women and their husbands for the 1998 Turkish Demographic and Health Survey and 1971 husbands were included in the study. The percentage of husbands who were against partner violence was 20.4%. However, 22 (0.9%) husbands had an attitude toward the use of violence against their wives. The frequency of contraceptive use was increased from the group of men who had unfavorable attitudes towards violence to the group of men who had favorable attitudes. A similar trend was found in the percentages of condom use for men, with multiple factors influencing contraceptive use. The study suggests that further investigations are needed for couple-related issues to improve the status of women in the community and to empower women for sexual health.