Following the low number of men who show up for family planning sessions, men in Limuru Sub-County have been advised to embrace family planning in a bid to support their wives in the management of families.

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Speaking in an interview at the Limuru Health Centre on Monday, the administrative officer in charge of the facility Ms Nancy Kaguku, said that it was a shame that very few men wanted to be associated with family planning.

The officer said that it was important for men to be involved in the process as this created harmony and enabled the couples to make wise decisions together.

She reiterated the importance of the presence of men during family planning sessions saying that if men understood the method their spouse was using, and the various side effects that could be brought about, they could avoid future problems in their relationships that could arise from the strain brought about by some side effects.

Kaguku cited examples of women who suddenly put on too much weight as a result of hormonal fluctuations caused by some family planning methods whereby the women end up developing low self-esteem which in turn put a strain on their marriages.

She said that these kinds of situations can better be dealt with if both the woman and the man understand the root cause of the problem.

Kaguku said that women needed psychological and emotional support when choosing a method of family planning as it was a life-changing decision.

“No method is 100% effective in preventing pregnancies and thus it is important for men to be equipped with this kind information to prevent instances where men end up laying the blame on the women and occasionally accusing the women of being careless when a pregnancy occurred,” said Kaguku.

The officer said that towards achieving this, they had renamed the Maternal and Child Health Care Clinic to a Family clinic in order to encourage the male population to take part in the family planning process.

She said that men should not feel emasculated whenever they show up for family planning sessions adding that this was a sign of responsibility and dedication to one’s family.

Kaguku encouraged couples to partake in this exercise together in order to nurture united families.