MEN AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Monareng argues that reproductive health must include both men and women if these rights are going to be significantly achieved in our society. 

Reproductive health and rights has often been associated with women’s issues while the reproductive health and rights of men has received little attention. Reproductive health is about the rights of individuals regarding dignity; body integrity and body autonomy and these rights are for both men and women. Reproductive health and rights has often been associated with women’s issues while the reproductive health and rights of men. A large number of men, especially African men, know very little about their reproductive health and how they can play a role in order to benefit both men and women.

An Ideal World

In an ideal world reproductive health is the shared responsibility of a couple. Men play a role and take a fair share of responsibility for contraceptives, including the use of condoms to prevent unwanted pregnancies, sexual transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS. Men and women consult each other regarding contraception and negotiate an acceptable method to use. Men also agree to have a vasectomy without resistance. Unfortunately we do not live in an ideal world and in reality men often do not take responsibility when it comes to reproductive health.

The Real World

In the real world men are the ‘gatekeepers’ of life because of the powerful roles they play in society. In the different roles they play, they have access to and control information, including health information, finances, transportation and other resources. Women are often subjected to various forms of violence, either by their male partners, family members, or by strangers. This violence has a negative effect on women’s reproductive rights, their freedom and it violates the physical and psychological well being of women’s health.

Men impede women from exercising their human rights by controlling them. The Termination of Pregnancy Act 92 0f 1996 was enacted to make it possible for women to have safe abortions. When women exercise this right, men are quick to judge them and label them ‘murderers’.

Reproductive health – the responsibility of women?

“He came home one day drunk and forced me to have sex with him. When I refused, he beat me until I agreed. We did not use a condom. Ever since we started dating we have never used a condom. I was not taking any contraceptives because the clinic was far away and he also did not want me to take them. A month later I found out that I was pregnant with our fourth child. He blamed me for the pregnancy. I told him it is better I terminate the pregnancy. He refused. He told me that he will kill me if I have an abortion.”

This story above signifies the sufferings that women endure from men. A large number of men (and society) have placed the responsibility of reproduction and family planning mainly on women. They see it as the responsibility of women to use contraceptives, to get sterilized.

It is up to women to take precautions and if she does not have the financial means to go to clinics each month to get contraceptives, she risks falling pregnant. She is then blamed for the pregnancy.

Because of their gender roles in society, women often have trouble talking about sex or mentioning reproductive health concerns with their male partners. Women are often afraid to ask their partners to use condoms or to refuse sex, even though they know they are at risk of getting pregnant or being infected with HIV/Aids.

Inequalities in relationships and gender roles have played a huge role in men refusing to take responsibility for their reproductive health. A mixture of cultural norms and social expectations have led to men not taking responsibility for their own reproductive rights, effectively making it a women’s concern. For instance, they refuse to use condoms because they say it interferes with their sexual pleasure. Other reasons include:

• Men’s marginalisation by official/public repro- ductive health services, and

• The taboo that if men seek assistance or infor- mation about reproductive health, they are either gay or abnormal.

Contraception

Women have a wide range of birth control choices that include the pill, diaphragms, patches, and injections. For men, other than abstinence, they only have the option of condoms and vasectomies. Additional methods need to be implemented, for example the male pill to allow men to control their own bodies so that they do not have to rely on women to prevent pregnancy. This will also be helpful in cases where women cannot take contraceptives for health reasons. Research has been done and it has showed that where men have been involved with their partners there is a positive health outcome, for example, antenatal care.

Way Forward

Reproductive health rights is about both men and women being entitled to have control over their bodies, have sexual enjoyment and to be protected from diseases. But importantly it is about choice and the right to exercise this choice. Men need to be encouraged to start taking responsibility for their own reproductive rights. To reach men we should consult them on what their needs are. Advertisements should be done in informal and attractive ways so that men are encouraged to attend educational workshops. Men should be able to access information and get help free of charge from clinics, hospitals and other public forums. Lastly men need to be reminded that reproductive health is not a privilege, but a right for both women and men. South Africa’s Constitution states that “Everybody has the right to physical and bodily integrity, which include the right to make decisions concerning reproduction”. This means that men also have the right to refuse giving a woman a child if they do not want to, and to have this right respected.