Are there traditional practices that affect men’s reproductive health in sub-Saharan Africa? A systematic review and meta-analysis approach
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Abstract
Description
Traditions practices within sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) varies from one
culture to another, and are specifically community related. There are traditional
harmful practices that rob men of their health, quality of life, their marriages, family
wellbeing and they are rarely express in the literature. We aimed to highlight the
prevalence of traditional practices among men that could have implications for their
health, wellbeing and economic contributions. We systematically searched Pubmed,
EMBASE, AJOL and Google Scholar for population-based studies touching traditional
practices that affect men aged 15–59 across SSA. The paper reviewed were those
published between January 2000 to December 2018. We employed a randomeffects
meta-analysis to determine different harmful traditional practices amongmen in SSA. The review yielded only 15 relevant articles based on the inclusion and
exclusion criteria. The study identified the practices of groom-flogging, adolescent
fatherhood, low sexual debut, polygyny, multiple sexual partnership, concubinage,
hegemonic masculinity, circumcision, drinking in excess, cohabitation and sexual
coercion as common but divergent practices among men in SSA. The authors
suggest that these practices, especially concubinage, boy’s fatherhood and groomflogging
could not be free from health hazards (such as STIs, HIV, stress among
boys and suicidal attempt) and should be brought to public discourse. The study
concludes that every traditional practice that affects health could possibly affect life
expectancies, productivity and threaten the achievement of health-for-all agenda
and sustainable development goal in SSA countries. The authors therefore recommend
the policy interventions and international discourse on traditional practices
that affect men’s health and provision of healthcare services for men in SSA.
Keywords
BF Psychology, H Social Sciences (General)