RETRACTED: Family planning services use: A shared responsibility between men and women of reproductive age in Hubei province, China.

OBJECTIVE

Effective use of family planning (FP) services significantly improves sexual and reproductive health of both women and men. Recently, the Chinese government has launched the two-child policy allowing families to have an additional child. This study aimed to explore the population's interest for FP services, unmet needs, and expectations.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study using stratified random sampling was conducted in 102 counties of Hubei province and 17 555 randomized individuals from rural, transitional, and urban areas were interviewed through a guided semi-structured questionnaire.

RESULTS

The Han ethnicity dominated our population and number of living children per family ranged from zero to six. Although 81% reported FP services and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) as a shared responsibility, the contraceptives used excluding condoms, were mainly intrauterine devices (76%), tubal ligation (16%), and vasectomy (8%). Although 24% of participants had a history of contraceptive failure, effective contraceptive use after failure among men remained lower (6% for tubal ligation and vasectomy) and 74% of naive contraceptive users strongly rejected vasectomy. Demographic factors, awareness of FP services/SRH, discussing and making joint decisions, and gender discrepancies were strongly associated with unmet FP services/SRH needs (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Family planning services use roughly varied with the population's unmet needs and expectations, which should be considered to sustain the strategies.