Recently, several projects have increased use of contraception by facilitating communication between husbands and wives. In Bangladesh, for example, the Jiggasha project uses existing rural communication networks to make discussion about reproductive health more culturally acceptable and to foster more communication among men and women (190). Jiggasha is the Bangla word for "to inquire."

Jiggashas are village discussion groups composed of either men or women; they meet separately. The jiggashas create a comfortable place for men and women to ask questions about family planning, contraceptive methods, and reproductive health (122). Specially trained field workers collaborate with male and female opinion leaders in the village to teach about contraceptive methods, answer questions, distribute contraceptives, and make referrals. They also encourage both men and women to talk with their spouses about family planning. Men's participation in the jiggashas helps to create an environment of approval for family planning.

Follow-up survey results suggest that the jiggasha approach complemented existing family planning efforts by field workers. In villages with family planning field workers as well as jiggashas, the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) increased from 38% to 56%. In villages with field workers but without jiggashas, the CPR rose from 26% to 32% (122).

In rural Honduras an agricultural extension program offers an example of a low-cost way to involve men in reproductive health and to increase couple communication about family planning (194). While meeting with farmers, paid extension workers used an interactive manual to talk about reproductive health. In some areas couples also were given a booklet designed to help husbands and wives plan their long-term family goals. In both areas communication between spouses improved. The percentage of women who reported discussing family planning with their husbands increased from 36% to 50%. The percentage of couples discussing STDs and HIV rose from 42% to 54% (194).