Determinants of Men's Involvement in Maternity Care in Dodoma Region, Central Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Men's involvement in maternity care is recognized as a key strategy in improving maternal health and accelerating reduction of maternal mortality. This study investigated the factors determining men's involvement in maternity care in Dodoma Region, Central Tanzania. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey used multistage sampling in four districts of Dodoma Region to select 966 married men participants aged 18 years and above. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out in SPSS version 21.0 to measure the determinants of men's involvement in maternity care. RESULTS: The study found that only 1 in 5 men were involved in maternity care of their partners. Factors found to determine men's involvement in maternity care were having >4 children (AOR=1.658, 95%CI=1.134 to 2.422), urban area of residence (AOR=0.510, 95%CI=0.354 to 0.735), waiting time >1 hour at the health care facility (AOR=0.685, 95%CI=0.479 to 0.978), limited access to information (AOR=0.491, 95%CI=0.322 to 0.747), and limited spousal communication (AOR=0.3, 95%CI=0.155 to 0.327). CONCLUSIONS: Long waiting time to receive the service and limited access to information regarding men's involvement are associated with low men's involvement in maternity care. Male friendly maternity care should recognize men's preferences on timely access to services and provide them with relevant information on their roles in maternity care. Spousal communication is important; mothers must be empowered with relevant information to communicate to their male partners regarding fertility preferences and maternity care in general.

Attitudes towards and perceptions of reproductive health needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS in rural Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

The introduction of antiretroviral treatment has resulted in the resumption of socially productive and sexually active lives of people living with HIV/AIDS, together with the desire for children. However, factors affecting the reproductive health needs of people living with HIV/AIDS are not well understood. With this in mind, the aim of this paper was to investigate factors associated with these health needs using a qualitative approach. Findings indicate that attitudes and perceptions about reproductive health needs are influenced by fertility beliefs, the central role of family, procreation and the perceived social and clinical consequences of pregnancies among people living with HIV/AIDS. While there was mixed opinion about acceptability of people living with HIV/AIDS, having children, marriage and family were institutions important for partnerships maintenance and procreation. These findings suggest that living with HIV in a community with strong pro-life attitudes is challenging for people living with HIV/AIDS who do not have children. Apart from having to grapple with potential stigma of not having children, people living with HIV/AIDS also face social challenges in realising their reproductive choices. Interventions to address stigma, societal changes and the integration of reproductive-health education into HIV care and treatment are needed.