Men’s perceptions of sexual and reproductive health education within the context of pregnancy and HIV in Zambia: a descriptive qualitative analysis

Abstract

Background Although health care providers are beginning to focus on men’s roles as fathers and husbands, there is limited understanding of how men view their ability to promote sexual and reproductive health in families affected by HIV and their experiences with receiving education through antenatal care. This paper aims to explore men’s perceptions of the education they need regarding sexual and reproductive health within the family in the context of HIV. Methods We interviewed a convenience sample of 18 male partners of pregnant women living with HIV in Lusaka, Zambia. Atlas.ti was used to facilitate data management and content analysis. Results Men reported being the primary decision-makers regarding sexual and reproductive issues in the family; however, they admitted far-reaching unmet needs in terms of information on sexual and reproductive health in the context of HIV. Most men felt that antenatal care was not a conducive setting to fully educate men on sexual and reproductive health because it is a woman’s space where their health concerns were generally neglected. There was a strong desire for more education that was specific to men’s sexual and reproductive health, especially because all the couples were affected by HIV. Men especially requested education on sexual preparedness, safe sex, the use of condoms in sero-concordant and sero-discordant relationships and general health information. Although men stated they were the main decision-makers regarding sexual and reproductive issues such as pregnancy, most men were not confident in their ability to promote sexual and reproductive health in the family because of limited knowledge in this area. Conclusion There is need to change the environment and messaging of antenatal care, as well as offer relevant education opportunities outside health facility settings to empower men with essential information for meaningful involvement in sexual and reproductive health in the context of HIV.

Men care too: a qualitative study examining women’s perceptions of fathers’ engagement in early childhood development (ECD) during an ECD program for HIV-positive mothers in Malawi

“…Some mothers also reported that men believed the ECD sessions, and PMTCT services more broadly, were not meant for fathers. Our findings corroborate the previous literature in Malawi and throughout sub-Saharan Africa 29–31. In their systematic review of barriers and facilitators of male partner involvement in PMTCT, Morfaw and colleagues also found the most salient barrier to male engagement was men’s perception that PMTCT and antenatal clinics were ‘women’s spaces’, revealing that men need to be actively welcomed into these facility spaces if perceptions of female-centred services are to be overcome 30.…”

“…-Mother of 8, age 31 Most mothers reported that their partners supported and actively implemented ECD practices at home. Mothers directly shared ECD lessons learnt from the intervention with their partner, and these lessons were put into practice by both parents.…”

“…Our findings corroborate the previous literature in Malawi and throughout sub-Saharan Africa. [29][30][31] In their systematic review of barriers and facilitators of male partner involvement in PMTCT, Morfaw and colleagues also found the most salient barrier to male engagement was men's perception that PMTCT and antenatal clinics were 'women's spaces', revealing that men need to be actively welcomed into these facility spaces if perceptions of female-centred services are to be overcome. 30 A qualitative study in Malawi found that while men were comfortable with supporting their partners' antenatal clinic attendance in discrete ways (financial support, encouragement, reminders about clinic appointments), they felt that existing norms in their community prevented them from accompanying their partners to clinic appointments.…”

Determinants of male involvement in partner's cervical cancer screening in Makueni County, Kenya

“…18 The perception that both partners should be involved in decision-making regarding healthcare differed from findings in Zambia and Nigeria, where men were seen as sole decision-makers. 18,19 Lastly, beliefs that the topic of sexuality is too private and cervical cancer screening damages the reproductive system were linked to lower male involvement in cervical cancer screening. This concurs with a study done in Botswana which revealed that these two factors were barriers to cervical cancer screening.…”

Effect of Health Education for Knowledge Pregnant Women's : Normal Delivery

“…Knowledge of normal childbirth includes an understanding of the physiological process of labor that takes place without significant medical intervention. Normal childbirth, often referred to as spontaneous labor, is a natural process in which a baby is delivered through the birth canal after the pregnancy has reached full term (37-42 weeks), with maternal labor and minimal assistance from medical personnel (Matenga, Zulu, Nkwemu, Shankalala, & ..., 2021). The process involves three main stages: the opening or dilatation phase of the cervix, the birth phase of the baby, and the birth phase of the placenta.…”