Table 1 Barriers to male participation in ANC
From: Why do pregnant women in Iringa region in Tanzania start antenatal care late? A qualitative analysis
FGD with female participants | FGD with male participants |
|---|---|
Men’s lack of trust. They sometimes believe that their partners have cheated | Multiple sexual relationships which make men doubt their involvement in pregnancy |
Lack of knowledge of the importance of ANC | Lack of knowledge/understanding by men on matters pertaining to ANC |
Men fear to attend ANC with their partners when they realize that the partners are pregnant within a short period after the last birth, and hence short birth spacing | Men fear to give company to their partners when they have failed to observe optimal birth spacing |
Men fear HIV-screening, hence they depend on the results of their partners | Majority of men fear HIV-screening. They normally depend on the results of their partners |
Customs and traditions among the Hehe and Bena still do not allow men to go with their partners for ANC | Traditions and customs among the Hehe and Bena still do not allow men to go with their partners for ANC |