Family planning in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: personal beliefs, intimate partner negotiations and social pressure.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has a low prevalence of family planning use. Recent studies have highlighted the significant role that socio-cultural factors play in the decision to use family planning or not. This qualitative study explored barriers to women's use of family planning methods in an ongoing conflict region, South-Kivu, DRC. Focus group discussions and individual in-depth interviews were conducted to understand perceptions and habits regarding family planning. An inductive approach was used to analyse the data. Precariousness of life, religious beliefs and fear of side effects were limiting factors to the use of family planning. Power relations within the couple also played an important role in decision-making. Sole provider ('breadwinner') women were more likely to use family planning, including hormonal methods. Our findings highlight the continued importance of family planning programmes that respond to socio-cultural factors, personal beliefs, and fear of side effects in parallel with addressing availability and accessibility. This will require including the community in their design and implementation in order to meet unmet family planning needs. Health care providers' capacity building and training to help women manage family planning side effects will also be beneficial.

Attractiveness and gender dynamics in surgical specialties: a comparative analysis of French medical graduates (2017-2022).

BACKGROUND: French medical graduates undertake a national examination at the end of their studies with a subsequent national ranking. Specialty is then chosen by each candidate according to their ranking. This study aims to describe the attractiveness of surgical specialties and the evolution of the male-female distribution among French medical graduates (FMG) from 2017 to 2022. METHODS: Our database included the candidates' ranking, sex and choice of specialty from 2017 to 2022. It included all French medical graduates from 2017 to 2022 and all French medical schools. A linear regression was performed to predict future trends. Dependent variables were mean rankings and the percentage of women. The independent variable was year of application. A Pearson correlation was performed to examine any relationship with mean workweek. RESULTS: A total number of 5270 residents chose a surgical programme between 2017 and 2022. The number of residents who were assigned their desired surgical programme held stable at 878 surgical residents per year. Plastic and reconstructive surgery remained the most frequently chosen surgical programme. Thoracic and cardiovascular surgery was the least frequently chosen surgical programme between 2017 and 2022. The mean ranking for a candidate choosing a surgical programme rose significantly by 9% from 2017 to 2022 (p < 0.01). Neurosurgery exhibited the greatest fall as a surgical specialty as its rankings decreased by 163.6% (p < 0.01). Maxillo-facial surgery was the only specialty with a statistically significant increase in its rankings by 35.9% (p < 0.05). The overall proportion of women was 51.1%. Obstetrics-and-gynecology was the highest represented specialty among female candidates, with a mean of 83.9% of women. Orthopedic surgery was the lowest represented, being composed of a mean of 28.6% of women. The number of female surgical residents increased significantly over the six-year period, by 7.6% (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: More and more medical school graduates decide not to choose surgery for their residency programme. Some specialties continue to be attractive while many are losing their appeal. While there does appear to be progress towards gender equity, further investigation is necessary to assess its actual implementation.

Risky business: an examination of drinking games in college settings and their impact: a systematic review.

This systematic review explores the prevalence and impact of Drinking Games (DG) among college students. DGs involve social drinking with the goal of heavy alcohol consumption and are associated with risky behaviours. The review aims to quantify the relationship between DG participation, alcohol consumption, and negative outcomes. It also investigates gender moderation and unexplored motivational factors for DG engagement. Following PRISMA guidelines, 34 studies were included after screening 317 records. The studies comprised n = 34,197 participants and were analysed for various variables, including gender dynamics, motivations, and associated negative consequences. Gender convergence in DG participation was noted, emphasizing the importance of gender-specific interventions. Participants were aware of risks but often perceived negative outcomes as a badge of honour. Motivations for DGs were linked to social interaction and a sense of belonging. Personality traits like sensation seeking and identification with college drinking culture played significant roles in DG engagement and outcomes. The review underscores the need for targeted interventions to address shifting perceptions of negative consequences and consider personality traits when designing preventive measures. It also highlights the significance of gender-specific strategies. However, variations in DG measurement and possible selection bias among heavy drinkers participating in DGs remain limitations. This systematic review provides insights into DG prevalence and its link to negative outcomes among college students. The findings stress the importance of tailored interventions and further research to mitigate risk factors and promote healthier drinking behaviours in this demographic.

Union formation, within-couple dynamics, and child well-being: A global macrolevel perspective.

Studies on global changes in families have greatly increased over the past decade, adopting both a country-specific and, more recently, a cross-national comparative perspective. While most studies are focused on the drivers of global changes in families, little comparative research has explored the implications of family processes for the health and well-being of children. This study aims to fill this gap and launch a new research agenda exploring the intergenerational implications of union-formation and within-couple dynamics for children's health and well-being across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), both globally, regionally, and by the stage of fertility transition. We do so by adopting a macro-level perspective and a multi-axis conceptualization of children's outcomes - health at birth, health in later life, and schooling - and leveraging Demographic and Health Survey and World Bank data across 75 LMICs. Our results show that in societies where partnerships are characterized by more equal status between spouses - i.e., where the age range between spouses and differences in years of schooling between partners are narrower - children fare better on several outcomes. These associations are particularly strong in mid- and high-fertility settings. Despite a series of regularities, our results also highlight a set of findings whereby, at a macro-level, the prevalence of marriage and divorce/separation are not invariably associated with children's outcomes, especially in LMICs where fertility is comparatively lower. We document little cross-regional heterogeneity, primarily highlighting the centrality of demographic factors such as age vis-à-vis, for instance, region-specific characteristics that are more tied to the social fabric of specific societies.

Community views on short birth interval in Northern Uganda: a participatory grounded theory.

BACKGROUND: Short birth interval is associated with adverse perinatal, maternal, and infant outcomes, although evidence on actionable factors underlying short birth interval remains limited. We explored women and community views on short birth intervals to inform potential solutions to promote a culturally safe child spacing in Northern Uganda. METHODS: Gendered fuzzy cognitive mapping sessions (n = 21), focus group discussions (n = 12), and an administered survey questionnaire (n = 255) generated evidence on short birth intervals. Deliberative dialogues with women, their communities, and service providers suggested locally relevant actions promote culturally safe child spacing. RESULTS: Women, men, and youth have clear understandings of the benefits of adequate child spacing. This knowledge is difficult to translate into practice as women are disempowered to exercise child spacing. Women who use contraceptives without their husbands' consent risk losing financial and social assets and are likely to be subject to intra-partner violence. Women were not comfortable with available contraceptive methods and reported experiencing well-recognized side effects. They reported anxiety about the impact of contraception on the health of their future children. This fear was fed by rumors in their communities about the effects of contraceptives on congenital diseases. The women and their communities suggested a home-based sensitization program focused on improving marital relationships (spousal communication, mutual understanding, male support, intra-partner violence) and knowledge and side-effects management of contraceptives. CONCLUSIONS: The economic context, gender power dynamics, inequality, gender bias in land tenure and ownership regulations, and the limited contraceptive supply reduce women's capacity to practice child spacing.

The evidence on what increases birth spacing remains limited. This study explored community views on influences on short birth interval to promote a culturally safe child spacing in Northern Uganda. A participatory research process began by collating perspectives of causes of short birth intervals through fuzzy cognitive mapping. Focus group discussions clarified concepts emerging from the fuzzy cognitive mapping exercise. Fieldworkers administered a household survey to quantify reproductive health outcomes. In deliberative dialogue sessions involving women and their communities, shared and discussed these results and suggested potential actions to promote culturally safe child spacing. Women, men, and youth showed clear understandings of the benefits of adequate child spacing. This knowledge is difficult to translate into practice, however, as women feel they are unable to exercise child spacing. Women who use contraceptives without their husbands' consent risk losing financial and social resources and are likely to face intra-partner violence. Women were not comfortable with contraceptive methods and reported experiencing side effects. The deliberative dialogues suggested a home-based sensitization program focused on improving marital relationships (spousal communication, mutual understanding, male support, intra-partner violence) and knowledge and side-effects management of contraceptives.

Ideals, negotiations and gender roles in gay and lesbian co-parenting arrangements.

This paper engages with the complex gender and parental dynamics experienced in the context of co-parenting arrangements. These arrangements, based on mutual agreement, involve people who commit to raising a child together, possibly with their respective partners. These family forms are usually pursued to avoid what is perceived as the uncertainty surrounding alternative assisted reproductive options such as donor insemination or surrogacy, and to allow the child to have two biological and sexually differentiated parental figures. This paper explores some of the opportunities and challenges presented by co-parenting by focussing on the experiences and accounts of lesbian women and gay men engaged in such family arrangements. Drawing on work by social theorists of the family, the main characteristics of these arrangements are first examined to show that while co-parenting might first seem marginal, it appears particularly well adapted to contemporary social constraints and parenting expectations. The second part of the paper shows how in practice, dominant gender norms remain largely unquestioned and can lead to tensions and unbalanced parental power relationships between biological parents, which, in turn, can present a significant challenge to these family arrangements. The analysis therefore suggests that while co-parenting offers the potential for parents to reconcile contradictory social expectations and provide them with opportunities to create family practices that suit them, these are restrained by existing gender norms, in particular by the prevailing role of the biological mother.

Social Context of Adherence in an Open-Label 1 % Tenofovir Gel Trial: Gender Dynamics and Disclosure in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

CAPRISA 008, an open-label extension study of tenofovir gel with coitally-related dosing, provided an opportunity to explore the relationship between product adherence and gender dynamics in a context where women knew they were receiving an active product with evidence of HIV prevention effectiveness. Interviews with 63 CAPRISA 008 participants and 13 male partners in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, highlighted that the process of negotiating gel use was determined in part by relationship dynamics including the duration of the relationship, the living situation, an evaluation of the relationship (e.g., partner intimacy and relationship expectations) and culturally-defined steps for formalizing the relationship. While disclosure facilitated adherence for many, others reported using the gel effectively with no disclosure, and in some situations disclosure was a barrier to adherence. Women should be supported in their choice about what to disclose and have opportunity to use this and similar products without their partners' knowledge or acquiescence.

An Investigation of Patient Preferences and Gender Dynamics of Neurosurgeon Selection in Taiwan: A Mixed-Method Study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of gender on patient preferences during the selection of neurosurgeons. METHODS: A mixed-method, cross-sectional study was conducted at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan, involving 60 patients. The study encompassed both structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews, administered postpatient-surgeon interactions to assess the nuanced effect of surgeon gender on patient choice. A balanced representation of both genders was ensured among the neurosurgeons involved. Thematic analysis was employed for textual data, while numeric data were analyzed using descriptive and Chi-square statistics. RESULTS: The majority of participants (n = 40, 66.7%) expressed no preference regarding the gender of their neurosurgeon during outpatient consultations. Nonetheless, a notable fraction, predominantly female, preferred female neurosurgeons (n = 20, 33.3%). Statistical analysis highlighted a significant correlation between the gender of the patients and their preferred neurosurgeon's gender, with female patients predominantly favouring female neurosurgeons (P < 0.05). Qualitative insights indicate that, although professional skill and experience are primary factors in selecting a neurosurgeon, a latent gender preference exists, influenced by perceived privacy, empathetic care, and the surgical finesse associated with female neurosurgeons. CONCLUSIONS: Although expertise and professionalism are of paramount importance, there is a clear preference for female neurosurgeons, especially among female patients. These findings underscore the importance of recognizing and accommodating patients' preferences to ensure neurosurgical care aligns with patient comfort, expectations, and the broader movement towards gender equality.

Illness experiences and mental health challenges associated with female genital schistosomiasis in Cameroon: a gender analysis.

BACKGROUND: This paper highlights the role of cultural and structural gaps that shape illness experiences of women with manifestations of female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) and their impacts upon mental well-being. METHODS: Using ethnography, case study narrative accounts of women manifesting symptoms of FGS, as well as interviews with health workers within FGS-endemic rural fishing communities in Cameroon, we present experiences of women affected by FGS, alongside information on FGS health service provision. RESULTS: Our results show how gendered power dynamics in decision making, gendered experiences around menstrual health and structural gaps in service provision, combine and lead to poor mental well-being. Subfertility brings a heavy psychosocial toll from external blame and rejection, exacerbated by internalised stigma and the challenge of not being able to fulfil cultural and gendered social norms. CONCLUSIONS: Gender analysis is key to developing context-embedded understanding and addressing FGS-related challenges. With context-specific experiences demonstrating FGS comorbidity with mental ill health, there is a need to prioritise mental health integration at policy level through a person-centred approach. Furthermore, to address stigma and discrimination, campaigns to raise awareness in Cameroon, and beyond, are needed. CONTEXTE: Cet article met en évidence le rôle des lacunes culturelles et structurelles qui façonnent les expériences des femmes atteintes de schistosomiase génitale féminine (SGF) et leur impact sur le bien-être mental. LA MÉTHODE: À l'aide de l'ethnographie, de récits d'études de cas de femmes présentant des symptômes de schistosomiase génitale féminine, et d'entretiens avec des agents de santé au sein de communautés de pêcheurs ruraux endémiques de la schistosomiase génitale féminine au Cameroun, nous présentons les expériences des femmes touchées par le SGF, ainsi que des informations sur les services de santé liés au SGF. RÉSULTATS: Nos résultats montrent comment la dynamique du pouvoir dans la prise de décision, les expériences de la santé menstruelle et les lacunes structurelles dans la fourniture de services, interagissent et conduisent à un manque de bien-être psychologique. La sous-fécondité entraîne un lourd fardeau psychosocial du fait du blâme et de rejet externes auxquelles sont assujetties les personnes souffrant de la maladie, ce qui est exacerbé par la stigmatisation intériorisée et le défi que représente leur incapacité à respecter les normes sociales culturelles et sexospécifiques. CONCLUSION: L'analyse de genre est essentielle pour développer une compréhension intégrée au contexte et pour relever les défis liés aux SGF. les défis liés à l'ESF. Avec des expériences spécifiques au contexte démontrant la comorbidité de la FGS avec la mauvaise santé mentale, il est nécessaire de donner la priorité à l'intégration de la santé mentale au niveau politique par le biais d'une approche centrée sur la personne. l'intégration de la santé mentale au niveau politique par une approche centrée sur la personne. En outre, pour lutter contre la stigmatisation et la stigmatisation et la discrimination, des campagnes de sensibilisation sont nécessaires au Cameroun et au-delà. ANTECEDENTES: En este documento se pone de relieve el papel de las brechas culturales y estructurales que dan forma a las experiencias de enfermedad de las mujeres con manifestaciones de Esquistosomiasis Genital Femenina (EGF), y sus impactos en el bienestar mental. MÉTODO: Utilizando la etnografía, estudios de caso mediante relatos narrativos de mujeres que manifiestan síntomas de EGF y entrevistas con trabajadores sanitarios de comunidades pesqueras rurales endémicas en Camerún, presentamos las experiencias de las mujeres afectadas por la EGF, junto con información sobre la prestación de servicios sanitarios para la EGF. RESULTADOS: Nuestros resultados muestran cómo la dinámica de poder de género en la toma de decisiones, las experiencias de género en torno a la salud menstrual y las deficiencias estructurales en la prestación de servicios se combinan y conducen a un bienestar mental deficiente. La subfertilidad conlleva un alto coste psicosocial debido a la culpa y el rechazo externos, exacerbados por el estigma interiorizado y el reto de no poder cumplir las normas culturales y de género. CONCLUSIÓN: El análisis de género es clave para desarrollar una comprensión integrada en el contexto y abordarlos retos relacionados con la EGF. Dado que las experiencias específicas de cada contexto demuestran la comorbilidad de las EGF con la enfermedad mental, es necesario priorizar la integración de la salud mental en las políticas a través de un enfoque centrado en la persona. Además, para hacer frente al estigma y la discriminación, son necesarias campañas de sensibilización en Camerún y en otros lugares.

Exploring Sibling Relationship Quality among Latinx Siblings: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review addresses the gap in the literature regarding sibling relationship quality among Latinx families, a topic that has not been comprehensively examined to date. This study aimed to synthesize current research on sibling relationship quality in Latinx families, focusing on the influence of cultural factors, identifying key variables associated with sibling relationship quality, and evaluating the methodological approaches used. This paper is a systematic review based on a recently published evidence and gap map (EGM) that identified and visually presented all published studies investigating sibling relationship quality. Additional inclusion criteria were applied to select articles that specifically examined sibling relationship quality in the United States samples with at least 50% Latinx participants. The review included 12 articles representing 6 distinct studies, revealing significant findings on the roles of familism, simpatía, and gender in shaping sibling dynamics. Results indicated that cultural values such as familism and simpatía positively influence sibling intimacy and warmth, while gender dynamics further moderate these relationships. Methodologically, the articles employed longitudinal and cross-sectional designs, utilizing various quantitative measures. The findings underscore the importance of culturally sensitive approaches in studying sibling relationships and highlight the need for further research to explore these dynamics in diverse Latinx subgroups.

Seed credit model in Uganda": Participation and empowerment dynamics among smallholder women and men farmers.

Seed is life and can be a source of empowerment and disempowerment for women and men farmers. In this study, to close the gender gaps in seed, the Community Enterprises Development Organization, the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT and the National Agricultural Research Organization developed a seed credit model available to men and women belonging to farmer groups. A mixed method was used to collect information from two districts in central Uganda on how the seed credit model reconstructed access, use, control and resulting benefits. Results showed that the provision of the seed credit model was considered a blessing even though it had many nuances. As a result of the seed credit model, we saw increased productivity in women's fields, increased income and decision making over income incurred from the sale of their crops. Their social status has been enhanced, and they now occupy a place of respect in their communities and households, where they can make decisions and get assets like houses and land. While it increased productivity, income and enhanced food and nutrition security needs of the family, it also changed power dynamics within the household as women become more empowered. To maintain power relations, men limited women's access to fertile land and family labor, which defined the quantity of seed gotten from the seed credit model. Women's participation and involvement in the seed credit model decreased over time as they were expected to pay their spouses' seed loans. Men's participation decreased because they were no longer entrusted with seed loans as their payment rate was very low. As we reap positive benefits, we have to ensure we don't 'do harm' when empowering our beneficiaries.

Pedagogical practices and civic knowledge and engagement in Latin America: Multilevel analysis using ICCS data.

This study explored the relationship between pedagogical practices and the civic knowledge and engagement of students from five Latin American and Caribbean countries, using a multilevel analysis of the 2016 International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS). The results reveal the complex interplay of educational, sociodemographic, and attitudinal factors in shaping the civic knowledge and engagement of students. Extracurricular civic engagement showed a negative correlation with student civic knowledge and engagement as measured by the ICCS cognitive test. However, civic learning in school positively related to cognitive abilities, emphasizing the importance of integrating civic learning into the curriculum. Interestingly, students' educational aspirations emerged as a significant factor shaping their civic engagement, suggesting a strategy to foster high educational aspirations to enhance cognitive performance. Additionally, gender dynamics were evident in civic education, with girls consistently outperforming boys in all participating countries. The correlation between home literacy resources and test scores illuminated the significant role of home environments in academic achievement. Lastly, students' attitudes towards political participation had a notable connection to civic knowledge outcomes, presenting an exciting avenue for future research. Collectively, these findings underscore the need for a comprehensive approach to civic education and further research to refine effective strategies.

Understanding gender dynamics in mHealth interventions can enhance the sustainability of benefits of digital technology for maternal healthcare in rural Nigeria.

Introduction: Nigeria faces enormous challenges to meet the growing demands for maternal healthcare. This has necessitated the need for digital technologies such as mobile health, to supplement existing maternal healthcare services. However, mobile health programs are tempered with gender blind spots that continue to push women and girls to the margins of society. Failure to address underlying gender inequalities and unintended consequences of mobile health programs limits its benefits and ultimately its sustainability. The importance of understanding existing gender dynamics in mobile health interventions for maternal health cannot be overstated. Objective: This study explores the gender dimensions of Text4Life, a mobile health intervention for maternal healthcare in Edo State, Nigeria by capturing the unique perspectives of women who are the primary beneficiaries, their spouses who are all men, and community leaders who oversaw the implementation and delivery of the intervention. Method: This qualitative study used criterion-based purposive sampling to recruit a total of 66 participants: 39 women, 25 men, and two ward development committee chairpersons. Data collection involved 8 age and sex desegregated focus group discussions with women and men and in-depth interviews with ward development committee chairpersons in English or Pidgin English. Translated and transcribed data were exported to NVivo 1.6 and data analysis followed a conventional approach to thematic analysis. Results: Women had some of the necessary resources to participate in the Text4Life program, but they were generally insufficient thereby derailing their participation. The program enhanced women's status and decision-making capacity but with men positioned as heads of households and major decision-makers in maternal healthcare, there remained the possibility of deprioritizing maternal healthcare. Finally, while Text4Life prioritized women's safety in various contexts, it entrenched systems of power that allow men's control over women's reproductive lives. Conclusion: As communities across sub-Saharan Africa continue to leverage the use of mHealth for maternal health, this study provides insights into the gender implications of women's use of mHealth technologies. While mHealth programs are helpful to women in many ways, they are not enough on their own to undo entrenched systems of power through which men control women's access to resources and their reproductive and social lives.

Student Pharmacists' Perceptions of Male Faculty Teaching Female-Specific Sex and Gender Health Topics.

Objective. The primary objective of this study was to assess perceptions of second year pharmacy students regarding predominantly male faculty instructing them regarding female physiology, pathophysiology, and gender health topics.Methods. A cross-sectional survey was administered to second year pharmacy students at a small, private, non-profit college of pharmacy at the conclusion of their women's health integrated pharmacotherapeutics course. Students were asked to rate their level of agreement with various statements using a five-point Likert scale on which 1=strongly disagree and 5=strongly agree.Results. Forty-seven students completed the survey (26 female and 21 male). The students indicated high agreement with statement: "Prior to the lectures, I felt comfortable having male faculty teach the majority of women's health topics" (median=5, IQR=4-5). Students also indicated neutrality towards the statement: "The gender of the instructor is of importance in the didactic instruction of women's health topics" (median=3, IQR=1-3). No significant differences were observed regarding student gender.Conclusion. Pharmacy students were generally amenable to male faculty teaching female-specific sex and gender health topics. This pattern was observed in both male and female students.

Does Shared Gender Group Membership Mitigate the Effect of Implicit Bias Attributions on Accountability for Gender-Based Discrimination?

Attributing gender discrimination to implicit bias has become increasingly common. However, research suggests that when discrimination is attributed to implicit rather than explicit bias, the perpetrators are held less accountable and deemed less worthy of punishment. The present work examines (a) whether this effect replicates in the domain of gender discrimination, and (b) whether sharing a group membership with the victim moderates the effect. Four studies revealed that both men and women hold perpetrators of gender discrimination less accountable if their behavior is attributed to implicit rather than explicit bias. Moreover, women held male (Studies 1-3), but not female (Study 4), perpetrators of gender discrimination more accountable than did men. Together, these findings suggest that while shared gender group membership may inform judgments of accountability for gender discrimination, it does not weaken the tendency to hold perpetrators less accountable for discrimination attributed to implicit, compared with explicit, bias.

Childhood Experiences and Intimate Partner Violence Among Kenyan Males: Mediation by Self-Esteem and Impulsivity.

This study evaluates associations between childhood social environments and current intimate partner conflict tactics in early adulthood. The subsample for this study (n = 251 men) were participants in a larger community-based study of men's mental and behavioral health in semirural Kenya. A survey questionnaire was administered by trained interviewers, including validated recall measures from childhood, collective self-esteem and impulsivity, and the conflict tactics scale short form. Analyses utilized regression and mediation methods. The recall measures evaluated the degree of relational warmth and safety recalled from early childhood and forms of abuse, neglect and dysfunction present in the childhood home. Collective self-esteem assessed the perceived value of one's social groups and one's value as a member of these groups. Impulsivity measured the propensity to act without thinking. The conflict tactics scale evaluates the presence and frequency of specific behaviors following intimate partner conflict, which lead to two factors-negotiation-based tactics and violence tactics. More early memories of relational warmth, responsiveness, and safety during childhood predict fewer violent intimate conflict tactics. More adverse childhood experiences predict more violent conflict tactics and fewer negotiation-based conflict tactics. Self-esteem and impulsivity mediated associations between recalled childhood experiences and conflict tactics. Further research is required to explore other predisposing factors, psychological processes, and cultural and social norms surrounding the use of violent and nonviolent intimate partner conflict resolution by young men in Sub-Saharan Africa. Violence prevention strategies and policies should explicitly link intimate partner violence prevention with prevention of violence against boys. Interventions should recognize men who perpetrate intimate partner violence are more likely victims of violent childhoods than men who do not perpetrate intimate partner violence. Promoting collective self-esteem and reducing impulsivity among young men may reduce violence against women.

Gendered Perceptions of Intimate Partner Violence Normality: An Experimental Study.

Knowledge on young adults' perceptions of intimate partner violence (IPV) is important as these are the ages at which most people form their first serious intimate relationships and begin to develop norms about how to communicate within a relationship. This study uses an experimental vignette design to examine whether the type of violence employed and the gender dynamics within the couple (male perpetrator and female victim vs. female perpetrator and male victim) affect young adults' perceptions of IPV normality. Gender differences in these perceptions are assessed and moreover, we explore whether these differences can be attributed to respondents' prior IPV experiences. Young adults (N = 599) were recruited from various schools and universities throughout the Netherlands. They were randomly assigned to one of 10 experimental vignettes. Findings demonstrate that, generally, scenarios describing more serious types of IPV as well as those describing a male perpetrator and a female victim received lower ratings of normality. Gender differences in perceptions were found and, moreover, the direction of these gender differences appeared to depend on the actual gender dynamics described in the IPV scenario. Prior IPV experiences increased perceptions of IPV normality among female respondents in particular. Moreover, the suggestion that respondents' prior IPV experiences may better explain respondents' IPV perceptions than respondents' gender, was only partly supported. Our findings suggest that this is true for respondents' prior psychological, but not physical IPV experiences and for the manipulations of the gender dynamics within the couple, but not so much for the type of violence employed. Implications of these findings are discussed. From a prevention perspective, greater insight into these perceptions is relevant as they have been shown to be related to help-seeking and reporting behavior in the case of experiencing or witnessing IPV.

Impact of home visits to pregnant women and their spouses on gender norms and dynamics in Bauchi State, Nigeria: Narratives from visited men and women.

BACKGROUND: Maternal and newborn child health are priority concerns in Bauchi State, northern Nigeria. Increased male involvement in reproductive health is recommended by the World Health Organization. A trial of a program of universal home visits to pregnant women and their spouses, with an intention to increase male involvement in pregnancy and childbirth, showed improvements in actionable risk factors and in maternal morbidity. We used a narrative technique to explore experiences of the visits and their effect on gender roles and dynamics within the households. METHODS: Trained fieldworkers collected narratives of change from 23 visited women and 21 visited men. After translation of the stories into English, we conducted an inductive thematic analysis to examine the impact of the visits on gender norms and dynamics. RESULTS: The analysis indicated that the visits improved men's support for antenatal care, immunization, and seeking help for danger signs, increased spousal communication, and led to changes in perceptions about gender violence and promoted non-violent gender relationships. However, although some stories described increased spousal communication, they did not mention that this translated into shared decision-making or increased autonomy for women. Many of the men's stories described a continuing paternalistic, male-dominant position in decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: Few studies have examined the gender-transformative potential of interventions to promote male involvement in reproductive health; our analysis provides some initial insights into this.