ArticleBMC public health2023
Scoping review of sexual and reproductive healthcare for men in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region: a handful of paradoxes?
Article in BMC public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
What it found
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Inequities in contraceptive use among adults in Lebanon: a national study.Journal of global health · 2026Article
- The Global State of Contemporary Andrology Practice: A Comprehensive Analysis of Clinical Practice, Training Pathways, and Emerging Challenges.The world journal of men's health · 2026Article
- Primary care physicians' understanding and counseling practices of sexually transmitted diseases: a cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia.BMC primary care · 2026Article
- Iranian men's Perception toward Preconception Care: A Qualitative Content Analysis.International journal of community based nursing and midwifery · 2026Article
- The successful scaling-up of antiretroviral therapy globally has many lessons for advancing universal health coverage: progress at risk.Globalization and health · 2025Article
- Family Planning Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Among Male and Female Garment Factory Workers in Alexandria, Egypt.Public health challenges · 2025Article
- Adolescent health research and initiatives in the occupied Palestinian territory: a scoping review.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Breaking the silence - systematic review of the socio-cultural underpinnings of men's sexual and reproductive health in Middle East and North Africa (MENA): A handful of taboos?Arab journal of urology · 2025Review
- The Global Andrology Forum (GAF): Structure, Roles, Functioning and Outcomes: An Online Model for Collaborative Research.The world journal of men's health · 2024Article
- Are sexually transmitted infections associated with male infertility? A systematic review and in-depth evaluation of the evidence and mechanisms of action of 11 pathogens.Arab journal of urology · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundNo study appraised the knowledge gaps and factors impacting men's sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in MENA (Middle East and North Africa). The current scoping review undertook this task.
methodsWe searched PubMed and Web of Science (WoS) electronic databases for original articles on men's SRH published from MENA. Data was extracted from the selected articles and mapped out employing the WHO framework for operationalising SRH. Analyses and data synthesis identified the factors impacting on men's experiences of and access to SRH.
resultsA total of 98 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. The majority of studies focused on HIV and other sexually transmissible infections (67%); followed by comprehensive education and information (10%); contraception counselling/provision (9%); sexual function and psychosexual counselling (5%); fertility care (8%); and gender-based violence prevention, support/care (1%). There were no studies on antenatal/intrapartum/postnatal care and on safe abortion care (0% for both). Conceptually, there was lack of knowledge of the different domains of men's SRH, with negative attitudes, and many misconceptions; as well as a deficiency of health system policies, strategies and interventions for SRH.
conclusionMen's SRH is not sufficiently prioritized. We observed five 'paradoxes': strong focus on HIV/AIDS, when MENA has low prevalence of HIV; weak focus on both fertility and sexual dysfunctions, despite their high prevalence in MENA; no publications on men's involvement in sexual gender-based violence, despite its frequency across MENA; no studies of men's involvement in antenatal/intrapartum/postnatal care, despite the international literature valuing such involvement; and, many studies identifying lack of SRH knowledge, but no publications on policies and strategies addressing such shortcoming. These 'mismatches' suggest the necessity for efforts to enhance the education of the general population and healthcare workers, as well as improvements across MENA health systems, with future research examining their effects on men's SRH.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.