MEN?S ROLE IN WOMEN?S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH - A STUDY OF COLLEGE STUDENTS.

Historically, most reproductive health programs focused on family planning and in turn most family planning programs offered their services exclusively to women. Most views women as the ?target group? and paid little attention to the roles that men might have with respect to women?s reproductive health decision-making and behavior. A few programs made attempts to address men?s needs for information and services, and these efforts mainly focused on encouraging men to use family planning methods (such as condoms and vasectomy) or to become more active in the couple?s decision-making about contraceptive use. Some programs also provided sexually transmitted infection (STI) treatments to men. Objective of the study: To collect comprehensive information regarding men?s attitudes towards women?s reproductive health needs from the college going girls and boys.To examine the educational, occupational and familial profile of the college girls and boys.To study the respondents attitudees towards men?s role in reproductive care of women. The present study was carried out in Tirupati town of chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh. The Sample unit for this study the college going girls and boys. This was the age at which youth should start thinking about aspirations followed by career and marriage plans. As such for the present study, 100 college going students (50 girls, 50 boys).Result and discussion: both the respondents had favourable attitudes towards men?s playing an active role in women?s reproductive health. Both the girls and boys stated that men should have a positive attitude and play a responsible role in women?s reproductive health care. A large proportion of the girls and boys (94% & 92%) expressed that women should be allowed to make her own decision with regard to her reproductive health.almost equal percentage of respondents were in favor of supportive role. Nearly three fourth of boys and girls stated that men should play a participatory role in adapting family limitation methods.Implication Of the Study: the shows that there is a need to sensitize male respondents on many issues of reproductive health.to increase knowledge about sex and reproductive health and decrease pre-marittal sexual intercourse, pregnancy and induced abortion, it is urgent to provide proper sex-education to guide unmarried young people and help them to prevent and solve problems related pre-marital sex.