Objective: This study was undertaken to understand what affects the integration of men in family planning (FP) in Rwanda, mainly in villages of Southern Province and Kigali City Province. A secondary objective of the study was to identify the factors that facilitate the integration of men in FP services through other services at healthcare facilities such as voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), antiretroviral therapy (ART), prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), and antenatal care (ANC); and the public’s awareness on this issue.

Methods: This qualitative, community-based, participatory research was conducted in 24 healthcare facilities in Kigali City Province and Southern Province of Rwanda. Focus group interviews were conducted with 24 healthcare providers, 96 community health workers (CHWs), and 366 women and men.

Conclusion: The factors that facilitated the integration of men in FP include radio talks, Rwanda Ministry of Health (MOH) trainings at healthcare facilities and the community level, CHW teachings and visits to families, and FP counseling in health centers integrated with different services, namely FP, VCT and ANC, though the lack of a defined calendar for FP services to men in these services impended service delivery. Other factors that facilitated the integration of men in FP through other services included: 1) the selection of counselors and their training level in FP methods, 2) the decentralization of the healthcare system through CHWs, and 3) basic trainings offered to healthcare providers and CHWs. The main factor encouraging men to take a role in FP issues is concern over the financial status of their families; however, they face barriers to use such as misconception about side effects of FP methods, religious beliefs, wives willing to continue having children, and few methods available for them.