Contraceptive behaviour in the Palestinian territories: the role of men

While playing a key role in all stages of reproduction Palestinian men remain absent from research on reproductive health. The present research thus proposes to analyze the involvement of these men in contraceptive choices and practices within the couple.We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Palestinian Health Survey (2006) focused on family planning and fertility desire. Only women were interviewed in this survey but they were asked about the opinions and attitudes of their husbands (N=5,291 married women). In addition, 47 semi-structured interviews were conducted with married Palestinians (men and women) on their desire fertility and contraceptive itineraries.Women whose husband wants more children than they do have a higher probability of using contraception than those whose husband wants the same number of children:OR=1.58[1.25-2,01]. Second, reproductive behaviours involving men, such as deciding overall contraceptive use or a method involving men, are related to the socio-economic characteristics of the spouses and various indicators of marital closeness: monogamy, communication within the couple and consistency of fertility preferences. This research highlights the importance of conjugal interactions and the emergence of a space for domestic decision-making around procreative choices and practices.