Differences in counseling men and women: family planning in Kenya

A comparison of family planning sessions with male and female clients in Kenya found distinct gender differences. Most men came for information, while women wanted to adopt, continue, or change contraceptive methods. Consultations with men and couples were more than twice as long as consultations with women. Men communicated actively (for example, by volunteering extra information, asking questions, and expressing worries) during 66% of their turns to speak, compared with 27% for women. Providers offered men more detailed information than women, asked them fewer questions, issued fewer instructions, and responded more supportively. These communication patterns may be seen as a reflection of Kenyan gender roles and men's and women's different reasons for seeking family planning services. Kenyan providers need to improve the quality of their interactions with women. They also need to anticipate men's outspokenness and understand the male agenda if they are to counsel men effectively.