Involving men and boys in family planning is effective in increasing contraceptive use

Involving men and boys as both users and supporters of family planning is now considered essential for maternal and child health. It is recognised that men are the primary decisionmakers on family size in many countries and may control or inhibit women’s use of family planning. Men may also have unmet needs in relation to family planning. Evidence on how to engage men and boys to meet family planning needs is therefore important. It is equally important that family planning programmes and services engage men and boys in ways that support women’s and girls’ choices, as well as men’s own family planning needs. This brief shares learning from a systematic review of programme evaluation studies is about how to enhance future programming with men and boys to better meet the needs for family planning for women and men in low- and middle-income countries.