Abstract:

Background and Objectives: Male partner involvement in women’s reproductive health has recently gained considerable attention. Given the sensitive nature of gender and relations in many cultures, understanding the context of a particular setting, potential barriers, and attitudes towards a new intervention are necessary first steps in designing services that include men. In preparation for a male involvement in antenatal care intervention, this qualitative study specifically aimed at assessing men’s knowledge their attitude and practices towards antenatal care and to understand the barriers towards male involvement in maternal health care.

Methodology: This was a cross section health facilities based study, done in Vwawa Ward from September to October 2019 involving a minimum of 213 participants. Data were collected using structured questionnaire and discussion with the participants and analyzed through SPSS 20 software as per research objectives.

Results: A total of participants were enrolled in this study. Majority of the participants demonstrated a poor knowledge on various services provided during antenatal care, danger signs and investigation done during pregnancy while demonstrating a passive attitude regarding their own involvement in maternal health. The most prominent barriers to male involvement in maternal health included low level of knowledge on maternal health care, fear for HIV/AIDS testing, social stigma and, job responsibilities. Thus continued education and motivation to men to attend antenatal care should be prioritized.