Perception of Child Bearing Women towards Male Involvement in Midwifery Practice in Family Support Programme (FSP) Clinic Yenagoa, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the perception of child bearing women towards male involvement in midwifery practice in Family Support Programme (FSP) Clinic Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Male involvement in midwifery practice is a challenging issue even among health personnel. Two objectives were set to determine the perceptions of childbearing women towards male midwives, and to identify factors that might influence their perception. A descriptive non-probability method was adopted and 137 respondents were used for this study. Self-structured questionnaires were used as instrument for data collection. Results were presented using frequency tables, percentages and pie charts and analyzed with computer Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The major findings revealed that (61.3%) of childbearing women said that male midwives should be encouraged, 55.5% of the respondents experience with a male midwife was equivalent to any other midwife, 30.7% said that their partner will not be comfortable with a male midwife, same number of the respondents 30.7% said that males don't give birth, so they will not understand the pains associated with labour/childbirth. The study also revealed that there is significant association between level of education of the respondents and perception of male involvement in midwifery practice with P<0.05 as well as their religion and perception of male involvement in midwifery practice with P<0.05.Therefore, it is recommended that health facilities and institutions should strive to encourage men to enter and practice midwifery as a profession, and gender discrimination should not be encouraged in midwifery practice.