Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Health Services Research
Published in: BMC Health Services Research 1/2018

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Research article

“He does not have to wait under a tree”: perceptions of men, women and health care workers on male partner involvement in prevention of mother to child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus services in Malawi

Authors: Alinane L. Nyondo-Mipando, Angela F. Chimwaza, Adamson S. Muula

Published in: BMC Health Services Research | Issue 1/2018

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

The perception of male involvement (MI) in maternal child health services is multifaceted and differs among varying programs and populations. In the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) context, MI includes men’s attendance at antenatal care (ANC) clinics, undertaking an HIV tests within the ANC and financial and psychological support. Contexualising the definition of MI is fundamental in the development of MI in PMTCT policy and interventions. The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of men, women and health care workers on male partner involvement in PMTCT services in Malawi.

Methods

A qualitative descriptive study was conducted at South Lunzu Health Centre (SLHC) in Blantyre, Malawi from December 2012 to January 2013. We conducted s Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with 6 health care workers and moderated four Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) among 18 men and 17 pregnant women attending antenatal care at SLHC. We divided FGDs participants according to sex and age. We digitally recorded all FGDs and KIIs and simultaneously transcribed and translated verbatim into English. We employed thematic analysis to identify codes and themes.

Results

Men and women described MI in PMTCT as either a) Positive participation or b) Negative participation. Positive participation included total involvement of the male partner in PMTCT interventions, reminding the spouse of clinic and treatment schedules, and resource provision. Health care workers described MI as either a) Involvement along the pregnancy continuum or b) Passive Involvement. Participants’ preferred positive involvement of male partners.

Conclusions

There are multiple perceptions of MI in PMTCT with participants preferring positive involvement. There is a need to have a uniform description of MI in PMTCT to optimize development of strategies and interventions that accommodate and optimize MI in PMTCT. A uniform description will be useful in assessing a country’s progress towards achieving MI in PMTCT goals.
Literature
1.
UNFPA. Male involvement in reproductive health including family planning and sexual health. New York: UNFPA technical report 28; 1995.
2.
WHO. Programming for male involvement in reproductive health, report of the meeting of WHO regional advisers in reproductive health WHO/PAHO. Washington DC, USA 2001.
3.
UNDP. United Nations population and development: Programme of action adopted at the international conference of population and development conference-Cairo. New York; 1994.
4.
Helzner JF. Men's involvement in family planning. Reproductive Health Matters. 1996;4(7):146–54.CrossRef
5.
Lee R. Men's involvement in Women's reproductive health projects and Programmes. Reproductive Health Matters. 1999;7(14):106–17.CrossRef
6.
Homsy J, King R, Malamba S, Opio C, Kalamya JN, Mermin J, Okallanyi A, Obonyo J. The need for partner consent is a main reason for opting out of routine HIV testing for prevention of mother-to-child transmission in a rural Ugandan hospital. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2007;44(3):366–9.CrossRefPubMed
7.
Maman S, Moodley D, Groves A. Defining male support during and after pregnancy from the perspective of HIV-positive and HIV negative women in Durban, South Africa. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2011;56(4):325–31.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
8.
Brittain K, Giddy J, Myer L, Cooper D, Harries J, Stinson K. Pregnant women's experiences of male partner involvement in the context of prevention of mother-to-child transmission in Khayelitsha, South Africa. AIDS Care. 2015;27(8):1020–4.CrossRefPubMed
9.
Population Council. Research update: gender, sexuality. HIV/AIDS. 2002;
10.
Nkuoh GN, Meyer DJ, Nshom EM. Women's attitudes toward their partners’ involvement in antenatal care and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Cameroon, Africa. Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health. 2013;58(1):83–91.CrossRef
11.
Kululanga LI, Sundby J, Chirwa E, Malata A, Maluwa A. Barriers to husbands’ involvement in maternal health care in a rural setting in Malawi: a qualitative study. Journal of Research in Nursing and. Midwifery. 2012;1(1):1–10.
12.
Nyondo AL, Muula AS, Chimwaza AF. Assessment of strategies for male involvement in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services in Blantyre, Malawi. Glob Health Action. 2013;6:22780.CrossRefPubMed
13.
Nyondo AL, Chimwaza AF, Muula AS. Stakeholders’ perceptions on factors influencing male involvement in prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV services in Blantyre, Malawi. BMC Public Health. 2014;14:691.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
14.
Nyondo AL, Chimwaza AF, Muula AS. Exploring the relevance of male involvement in the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV services in Blantyre, Malawi. BMC International Health and Human Rights. 2014;14(30)
15.
Nyondo AL, Choko AT, Chimwaza AF, Muula AS. Invitation cards during pregnancy enhance male partner involvement in prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Blantyre, Malawi: a randomized controlled open label trial. PLoS One. 2015;10(3):e0119273.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
16.
Nyondo-Mipando A, Chimwaza A, Muula A. A descriptive study on demographic and behavioral characteristics of males and their responses to a male involvement intervention in Blantyre, Malawi. Pan African Medical Journal. 2016;25
17.
McMillan JH, Schumacher S. Research in education, evidence based inquiry. 7th ed. Boston: Pearson; 2010.
18.
Ritchie J, Lewis J. Qualitative research practice, a guide for social science students and researchers. London: Sage Publications; 2003.
19.
Clark JP. How to peer review a qualitative manuscript. In: Godlee F, Jefferson T, editors. Peer review in health sciences. 2nd ed. London: BMJ Books; 2003. p. 219–35.
20.
Rabiee F. Focus-group interview and data analysis. Proc Nutr Soc. 2007;63(04):655–60.CrossRef
21.
Braun V, Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual Res Psychol. 2006;3(2):77–101.CrossRef
22.
Elo S, Kyngäs H. The qualitative content analysis process. J Adv Nurs. 2007;62(1):107–15.CrossRef
23.
Vaismoradi M, Turunen H, Bondas T. Content analysis and thematic analysis: implications for conducting a qualitative descriptive study. Nurs Health Sci. 2013;15(3):398–405.CrossRefPubMed
24.
Ladur AN, Colvin CJ, Stinson K. Perceptions of community members and healthcare workers on male involvement in prevention of mother-to-child transmission Services in Khayelitsha, cape town, South Africa. PLoS One. 2015;10(7):e0133239.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
25.
Weiss SM, Peltzer K, Villar-Loubet O, Shikwane ME, Cook R, Jones DL. Improving PMTCT uptake in rural South Africa. J Int Assoc Provid AIDS Care. 2013;13:269–76.CrossRef
26.
Sherr L, Croome N. Involving fathers in prevention of mother to child transmission initiatives what the evidence suggests. J Int AIDS Soc. 2012;15(Suppl 2):17378.PubMedPubMedCentral
27.
Ramirez-Ferrero E, Lusti-Narasimhan M. The role of men as partners and fathers in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and in the promotion of sexual and reproductive health. Reprod Health Matters. 2012;20(39S):103–9.CrossRefPubMed
28.
Auvinen J, Suominen T, Valimaki M. Male participation and prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) mother-to-child transmission in Africa. Psychol Health Med. 2010;15(3):288–313.CrossRefPubMed
29.
Nkuoh GN, Meyer DJ, Tih PM, Nkfusai J. Barriers to men's participation in antenatal and prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission care in Cameroon, Africa. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2010;55(4):363–9.CrossRefPubMed
30.
Morfaw F, Mbuagbaw L, Thabane L, Rodrigues C, Wunderlich A, Nana P, Kunda J. Male involvement in prevention programs of mother to child transmission of HIV: a systematic review to identity barriers and facilitators. Systematic Reviews. 2013;2(5)
31.
Dunlap J, Foderingham N, Bussell S, Wester W, Audet C, Aliyu M. Male involvement for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission: a brief review of initiatives in east, west and Central Africa. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep. 2014;11(2):109–18.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
32.
Mbekenga CK, Pembe AB, Christensson K, Darj E, Olsson P. Informal support to first-parents after childbirth: a qualitative study in low-income suburbs of Dar es salaam, Tanzania. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2011;11(98)
33.
Pool R, Nyanzi S, Whitworth JA. Attitudes to voluntary counselling and testing for HIV among pregnant women in rural south-West Uganda. AIDS Care. 2001;13(5):605–15.CrossRefPubMed
34.
Malaju M, Alene G. Women's expectation of partner's violence on HIV disclosure for prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV in north West Ethiopia. BMC Research Notes. 2013;6
35.
Baiden F, Remes P, Baiden R, Williams J, Hodgson A, Boelaert M. Voluntary counselling and HIV testing for pregnant women in the Kassena-Nankana district of northern Ghana: is couple counselling the way forward? AIDS Care. 2005;17(5):648–57.CrossRefPubMed
36.
Dahl V, Mellhammar F, Bajunirwe F, Bjorkman P. Acceptance of HIV testing among women attending antenatal care in South-Western Uganda: risk factors and reasons for test refusal. AIDS Care. 2008;20(6):746–52.CrossRefPubMed
37.
Musheke M, Ntalasha H, Gari S, McKenzi O, Bond V, Martin-Hilber A, Merten S. A systematic review of qualitative findings on factors enabling and deterring uptake of HIV testing in sub- Saharan Africa. BMC Public Health. 2013;13
38.
Kim MH, Zhou A, Mazenga A, Ahmed S, Markham C, Zomba G, Simon K, Kazembe PN, Abrams EJ. Why did I stop? Barriers and facilitators to uptake and adherence to ART in option B+ HIV Care in Lilongwe, Malawi. PLoS One. 2016;11(2):e0149527.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
39.
Bloom SS, Wypij D, Das GM. Dimensions of Women’s autonomy and influence on maternal health care utilization in a north Indian City. Demography. 2001;38:67–78.CrossRefPubMed
40.
Aarnio P, Chipeta E, Kulmala T. Men's perceptions of delivery care in rural Malawi: exploring community level barriers to improving maternal health. Health Care Women Int. 2013;34(6):419–39.CrossRefPubMed
41.
Pembe AB, Urassa DP, Darj E, Carlstedt A, Olsson P. Qualitative study on maternal referrals in rural Tanzania: decision making and acceptance of referral advice. Afr J Reprod Health. 2008;12(2)
42.
Nyasulu J, Nyasulu P. Decision making for women to access prevention of mother to child transmission services in Blantyre and Balaka districts, Malawi. Journal of Rural and Tropical Public Health. 2011;10:95–100.
Metadata
Title
“He does not have to wait under a tree”: perceptions of men, women and health care workers on male partner involvement in prevention of mother to child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus services in Malawi
Authors
Alinane L. Nyondo-Mipando
Angela F. Chimwaza
Adamson S. Muula
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Health Services Research / Issue 1/2018
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6963
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-2999-8

Other articles of this Issue 1/2018

BMC Health Services Research 1/2018 Go to the issue

Research article

Reducing time-to-unit among patients referred to an outpatient stroke assessment unit with a novel triage process: a prospective cohort study

Research article

Unfolding the values of work – therapists´ experience of addressing the return to work process in occupational rehabilitation based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Research article

Teamwork in primary palliative care: general practitioners’ and specialised oncology nurses’ complementary competencies

Research article

Facilitating the implementation of clinical technology in healthcare: what role does a national agency play?

Study protocol

Social media for health promotion in diabetes: study protocol for a participatory public health intervention design

Research article

Assessment of patient safety culture: a nationwide survey of community pharmacists in Kuwait