Male partner participation in pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum: health team members´ perceptions in Bogota

Abstract

Introduction: Partner accompaniment on perinatal health obeys the principles of humanized childbirth. Objective: Describe the health team members perception on the male partner participation in pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. Method: Qualitative study based on three focus groups, a deliberative forum and six in depth interviews. Participated 49 members of the health team (medicine doctors, nurses, medical interns and nursing assistants). A thematic analysis was carried out with the support of Atlas ti 8 software. Results: There is a positive perception of the male partner participation in pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum especially as an emotional support for the pregnant woman. As limitations, cultural barriers associated with traditional gender roles in which men are excluded from reproductive processes, some institutional access barriers related to infrastructure and protocols are relevant. Women often face pregnancy and childbirth alone; men fear and feel that being part of the process is not appropriate to their role; there is reluctance in some health professionals. The following alternatives are proposed: generating cultural and institutional changes to include men in reproductive health, adapting spaces and resources, strengthening awareness processes for health personnel and improving information and training for users. Conclusions: It is required openness to new masculinities in the reproductive field, eliminate access barriers and design innovative strategies for welcoming and educating men based on their particular needs.