‘He's the dad isn't he?’ Gender, race and the politics of prenatal screening

Abstract

Background. Men's involvement in prenatal screening is becoming increasingly important. However, despite the potentially significant role of fathers in haemoglobinopathy screening, their participation is under researched. Furthermore, the portrayal of Black and minority ethnic (BME) fathers tends to be based on persisting stereotypes of men as either absentee parents with limited roles in screening or as controlling decision-makers. Objective. To describe the influence of ethnicity and gender on the process of participation of men in antenatal screening for sickle cell and thalassaemia. Design. A qualitative study, using in-depth interviews and focus groups with 22 pregnant women from a range of socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds, 16 male partners and 15 midwives in a northern city in the UK. Results. Men from BME groups take a pragmatic and equitable role in screening with their partners. White British men on the other hand, while willing to participate in screening, take a more casual view of their own direct participation. Accounts from hospital midwives supported these findings. Conclusions. While acknowledging the importance of material connections between certain BME groups and blood disorders, two key issues are raised. First, BME men's involvement contribute a challenge towards existing assumptions often made about BME fathers. Second, White British men's participation can be useful in determining the genetic status of the foetus and therefore their role should not be neglected. Screening research and practice need to broaden out their focus on issues of gender, ethnicity and screening.