Malawi (2010): Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Study on Sexual and Reproductive Health Among Adult Men and Women.

Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) encompasses a wide range of issues namely, family planning, STI and HIV/AIDS, harmful practices, reproductive cancer, infertility, and obstetric fistula. In order to improve ways of accessing SRH services, there is need to understand factors which may affect these services. In Malawi, men have been known to be influential in many important decisions that are made within the family or community. There has always been talk on how men influence or impact on decisions made concerning different SRH issues. There has been no research to determine the extent to which decisions and different behaviours of men have an impact on SRH issues, especially family planning and maternal health. This study adresses the impact of male behaviour including health-related decisions they make and gender-based violence perpetuated by them, on SRH issues especially family planning and maternal health in Malawi. It focuses on attitudes, knowledge and practices by four categories of adults (persons aged at least 18 years) who have been in a sexual relationship for at least 2 years: single men; single women; married men; and married women. This survey aims to address the following six specific objectives related to family planning choices and practices; condom use; power relations and condom use; involvement of men and women in maternal health; male involvement and gender-based violence; and the impact of programs on male involvement. The population for this study is married men and women, and single men and women aged at least 18 years who are in sexual relationships for at least 2 years, in Chiradzulu, Blantyre, Mwanza, Mangochi, Dedza, Mchinji, Nkhata Bay, and Chitipa districts in Malawi. Three survey instruments will be used, namely a key informant interview guide, a focus group discussion guide (FGD), and a structured questionnaire.