ASSESSING FAMILY PLANNING DECISION MAKING AMONG MUSLIMS IN THE TAMALE METROPOLIS

Abstract

Generally, Muslims religious leaders are often viewed as potential obstacles towards family planning practices owing to their incessant condemnation of family planning. In Northern Region family planning practices is very low, especially among Muslim couples. In view of this, the study sought to examine how Muslim women and men in the Tamale Metropolis take decisions regarding family planning. The social survey was adopted as research strategy due to the larger nature of the study population in the Tamale Metropolis. A sample of 400 respondents from the various identified communities in the Metropolis was chosen as the sample size for the study. Questionnaires and interview guides were used for data collection. The data obtained was presented and analyzed based on who is responsibility for planning decisions among Muslim couples, the attitude of Muslims toward family planning practice and the knowledge level of Muslims on family planning practice. This led to the following key findings: family planning practice among Muslim couples is widely known. It also found that, Islam does not regulate the number of children Muslim couples should have. The study further revealed that Muslim couples are unable to effectively implement the lessons learnt from family planning sessions. It was also observed that, majority of the Muslim couples rejected abortion as a family planning technique. The cost of contraceptives for family planning was also found to be discouraging Muslim married couple in the Tamale Metropolis. Based on the above findings, it was generally recommended that Muslims couples should be encouraged and assisted to accept family planning practices so as to propagate its usage to others in the Metropolis. Since Islam does not regulate the number of children Muslim couples should have, couples are