ABSTRACT
Objective
To explore the association of men’s willingness to use a novel male contraceptive
method with their attitudes toward gender equity.
Methods
We conducted an anonymous online survey examining willingness to use male contraception
among reproductive age (18-50 years) cisgender men from the United States and Canada,
recruited via online forums, social media ads, and male contraceptive mailing lists
from April through July of 2022. The survey collected socio-demographics and reproductive
histories and used a 20-item Gender Equitable Men Scale (GEMS) to examine men’s gender
role attitudes. We conducted bivariate analyses to inform a multivariable logistic
regression isolating the independent influence of increasingly gender-equitable attitudes
on cis-men’s willingness to use novel male contraceptives.
Results
We received 2,066 surveys from primarily white (n=1,192; 58%), heterosexual (n=1,816;
88%), married cis-men, (n=1,008; 49%), below the age of 30 (n=1,010; 49%), and who
had not completed a bachelor’s degree (n=1,173; 57%). The majority reported having
sex multiple times per week (n=946; 46%), but had never gotten someone pregnant, (n=907;
44%); nearly half (n=994; 48%) identified as parents. Approximately three-quarters
of respondents reported being willing to use a novel male contraceptive method (n=1,545;
75%); willingness was independently linked to having had an abortion (adjOR: 2.04;
95%CI: 1.37-3.02) and increasing total GEMS scores (adjOR: 1.05; 95%CI: 1.02-1.08),
even after controlling for age, race/ethnicity, and education level.
Conclusions
About three-quarters of cis-men surveyed reported willingness to use new male contraceptives,
which was correlated with increasingly gender-equitable attitudes.
Implications
As gender-equitable attitudes are linked to men’s willingness to use novel male contraceptive
methods, older population surveys may underestimate male contraceptive demand. Additionally,
given the association of abortion experience with willingness to use novel male contraceptives,
abortion-providing family planning clinics may be considered for future dissemination
of male contraceptive methods.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
March 2,
2023
Received in revised form:
March 2,
2023
Received:
September 9,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Accepted ManuscriptIdentification
Copyright
© 2023 Published by Elsevier Inc.
