en Reproductive Health Reproductive Health پژوهشي Original Research <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:14.0pt"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Background:</span></span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> Despite India&#39;s progress in family planning, male involvement remains limited in patriarchal rural settings, where gendered norms perpetuate female-centric contraception and low vasectomy uptake. This study addresses a critical research gap by examining male roles in contraceptive decision-making in rural Haryana, a region with high son preference and educational disparities. Novelty lies in quantifying shared decision-making and its sociodemographic correlates, highlighting male education&#39;s transformative potential to foster equity and inform male-focused interventions, significant for advancing reproductive health autonomy and sustainable population policies.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:14.0pt"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Methods:</span></span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> A community-based cross-sectional study (October 2023&ndash;March 2024) surveyed 123 randomly selected eligible couples (wives aged 15&ndash;49) in Village Pali, Faridabad district. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire assessed sociodemographic, knowledge, attitudes, practices, and decision-making patterns. Data were analyzed using Epi Info 7, with descriptive statistics and inferential tests (Chi-square, Mantel-Haenszel, t-tests; p&le;0.05).</span></span></span></span></span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:14.0pt"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Results:</span></span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> Contraceptive usage prevalence was 73.2%, led by male condoms (44.7%) and female sterilization (25.2%), with vasectomy at 2.4%. Shared decision-making prevailed (84.6%; 95% CI: 77.4&ndash;90.1), but family members influenced 22&ndash;41.5% of choices. Husband&#39;s education significantly predicted shared decisions (p=0.004), rising from 73.5% (illiterate) to 100% (graduates); wife&#39;s education showed borderline association (p=0.05). Son preference was higher among husbands (40.7% vs. 26.8% wives).</span></span></span></span></span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:14.0pt"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Conclusion:</span></span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""> This study reveals evolving shared decision-making amid persistent inequities, underscoring male education as a lever for equitable family planning. Targeted strategies engaging men could reduce gendered burdens, enhance uptake of male methods, and support women&#39;s autonomy in rural India.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div> Family Planning, Haryana, Male Involvement, Modern Contraception, Rural India, Shared Decision-Making 39 49 http://caspjrm.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-12-171-2&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Happy Dagar 10031947532846002625 0009-0008-2864-7558 No Mitasha Singh 10031947532846002626 10031947532846002626 No Shipra Saini shipraasaini81@gmail.com 10031947532846002627 10031947532846002627 Yes Emergency Medicine, ESIC Hospital, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India Hardik Yadav 10031947532846002628 0009-0006-4925-5014 No