Partners Of Women Research Articles

Who is most vulnerable? Factors associated with presenting to antenatal care without a male partner in Northern Tanzania

ObjectiveMale engagement in pregnancy care can be beneficial for maternal and child health outcomes. In Tanzania, pregnant women are strongly encouraged to present to their first antenatal care (ANC) appointment with a male partner, where they jointly test for HIV. For some, this presents a barrier to ANC attendance. The objectives of this study were to identify factors associated with presenting to ANC with a male partner using a cross-sectional design and to assess whether women presenting without partners had significantly delayed presentation. MethodsPregnant women (n = 1007) attending a first ANC appointment in Moshi, Tanzania were surveyed. Questions captured sociodemographic characteristics and measures of psychosocial constructs. ResultsJust over half (54%) of women presented to care with a male partner. Women were more likely to present with a male partner if they were younger than 25 years old, married, Muslim, attending ANC for their first pregnancy, and testing for HIV for the first time. Women presenting to ANC with a male partner were significantly more likely to attend ANC earlier in their pregnancy than those presenting without male partners. ConclusionPolicy change allowing women to present to care with other supportive family members could promote earlier presentation to first ANC. Unmarried women may be at a disadvantage in presenting to ANC when policies mandate attendance with a male partner. Male partners of multiparous women should be encouraged to provide pregnancy support even after first pregnancies, and a wholistic emphasis (beyond HIV testing) on first ANC could encourage male engagement beyond the initial appointment.

Exploring Gender Bias In Remote Pair Programming Among Software Engineering Students: The twincode Original Study And First External Replication

ContextWomen have historically been underrepresented in Software Engineering, due in part to the stereotyped assumption that women are less technically competent than men. Pair programming is both widely used in industry and has been shown to increase student interest in Software Engineering, particularly among women; but if those same gender biases are also present in pair programming, its potential for attracting women to the field could be thwarted.ObjectiveWe aim to explore the effects of gender bias in pair programming. Specifically, in a remote setting in which students cannot directly observe the gender of their peers, we study whether the perception of the partner, the behavior during programming, or the style of communication of Software Engineering students differ depending on the perceived gender of their remote partner. To our knowledge, this is the first study specifically focusing on the impact of gender stereotypes and bias within pairs in pair programming.MethodWe have developed an online pair-programming platform (twincode) that provides a collaborative editing window and a chat pane, both of which are heavily instrumented. Students in the control group had no information about their partner’s gender, whereas students in the treatment group could see a gendered avatar representing the other participant as a man or as a woman. The gender of the avatar was swapped between programming tasks to analyze 45 variables related to the collaborative coding behavior, chat utterances, and questionnaire responses of 46 pairs in the original study at the University of Seville, and 23 pairs in the external replication at the University of California, Berkeley.ResultsWe did not observe any statistically significant effect of the gender bias treatment, nor any interaction between the perceived partner’s gender and subject’s gender, in any of the 45 response variables measured in the original study. In the external replication, we observed statistically significant effects with moderate to large sizes in four dependent variables within the experimental group, comparing how subjects acted when their partners were represented as a man or a woman.ConclusionsThe results in the original study do not show any clear effect of the treatment in remote pair programming among current Software Engineering students. In the external replication, it seems that students delete more source code characters when they have a woman partner, and communicate using more informal utterances, reflections and yes/no questions when they have a man partner, although these results must be considered inconclusive because of the small number of subjects in the replication, and because when multiple test corrections are applied, only the result about informal utterances remains significant. In any case, more mixed methods replications are needed in order to confirm or refute the results in the same and other Software Engineering students populations.

Addressing Privacy Concerns Surrounding Oocyte Donation in the United States: Gone With Anonymity.

Oocyte donation has greatly expanded in the past several decades since the first procedure was performed in 1983. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the number of cycles using donor oocytes increased from 18,011 cycles in 2010 to 27,131 cycles in 2019. Oocyte donation has become an important reproductive option for women with diminished ovarian reserve, recurrent failed in vitro fertilization, or heritable genetic conditions. It is also particularly important for single men, same-sex male couples, and men with a transgender woman partner. More recently, societal changes accompanying the expansion of social media and broader access to direct-to-consumer DNA testing have raised concerns about privacy and anonymity. In this article, we review two specific aspects of donor privacy: privacy related to personal identifiers provided by clinics or donor egg bank websites and privacy related to direct-to-consumer genetic testing. We also provide clinical recommendations specific to the United States for working with oocyte donors and donor oocyte recipients.

The impact of exclusion due to COVID-19 restrictions on partners' satisfaction with Swedish hospital postnatal ward care: A multi-methods approach.

To prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, hospitals around the world adopted protocols that, in varying ways, resulted in the exclusion of partners from hospital postnatal care wards. The objective of this study was to examine the effect this exclusion had on partners' satisfaction with postnatal care. An online survey (the Swedish Pregnancy Panel) including free-text comments was conducted before and during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic; partners of pregnant women were recruited at an early ultrasound appointment and followed until 2 months after childbirth. Data were linked to the Swedish Pregnancy Register. The survey was completed by 524 partners of women who gave birth during the pandemic and 203 partners of women who gave birth before. Partners' satisfaction with hospital postnatal care dropped 29.8 percent (-0.94 OLS, 95% CI = -1.17 to -0.72). The drop was largest for partners of first-time mothers (-1.40 OLS, 95% CI = -1.69 to -1.11), but unrelated to clinical outcomes such as mode of birth and most social backgrounds, except higher income. The qualitative analysis showed that partners (1) felt excluded as partners and parents, (2) thought the strain on staff led to deficiencies in the care provided, and (3) perceived the decision about partner restrictions as illogical. The exclusion of partners from the hospital postnatal wards clearly impaired satisfaction with care, and partners of first-time mothers were particularly affected. Planning for future restrictions on partners from hospital wards should factor in these consequences.

‘It’s a Man’s Job’: Doing Gender and Male Gatekeeping in the Division of Household Labor

Changes to domestic divisions of labor have been widely documented, but some tasks seem particularly resistant to change. Using the lens of ‘doing gender’, this article draws on interviews with 25 heterosexual working parent British couples who produced a ‘household portrait’ of their division of labor. It examines how they explain men’s continuing responsibility for ‘man-typed’ domestic tasks and why this is so resistant to change. Although men’s ‘gatekeeping’ of these tasks is consequential for the overall household division of labor, there is relatively little opposition from their women partners. This gatekeeping reproduces gendered meanings of ‘man-typed’ tasks and enables both men and women to ‘do gender’ while supporting their image of a ‘sharing’ couple.

Migration and making of non-heteronormative households and families: lived experiences of cisgender women partners of trans men in Bengaluru

Abstract The lived experiences of cisgender women partners of trans men are rarely a subject of concern, even for sexuality studies in India. This article looks into the lived experiences of cisgender-identified female partners of trans men who migrated to Bengaluru city from different parts of south India to live with their trans men partners. Despite constant opposition and threats from their natal families, these women decided to relocate to Bengaluru along with their trans men partners. Bengaluru-based Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) working on gender and sexual minorities helped them migrate and settle in Bengaluru. The queer and trans community in Bengaluru also helped them deal with the challenges post-migration. Post-migration, these women formed households and families along with their trans men partners. This study uses Pfeffer’s conceptualization of ‘normative resistance’ and ‘inventive pragmatism’ to elucidate how, post- migration, the women and their trans men partners strategically resisted and accessed social structure/institutions to receive social recognition and escape public stigma and violence. The study also shows that inegalitarian emotional and household division of labour exists between the women and their trans men partners. Even as the women try to naturalize them, they were not passive receptors and have learned to strategize their roles in the household realm. Simultaneously, the article also shows that the space created by the NGOs and trans-civic networks in the city has helped these women form a strong community consciousness and forge support system that gives them the confidence to live with their trans men partners.

A Study of Pinjara Community Women’s Livelihood Struggle During Pandemic in Karnataka State with Special Reference to Kittur Karnataka Region

Pinjara community has century’s history. 500 years ago the Pinjara community received the Islam religion in the administration of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. After accepting Islam, they made clinging and weaving as their profession. From ever since, they have been growing cotton and opting weaving profession that produces cotton and are recognized as professionals. Pinjara women work equally to the man in the family. The women also has a place for heritage division of work. The role of Pinjara girls/women is important in the process of traditional occupation that men and women share. Women do almost all of the things men do, and women's partnership is also involved in market affairs. Though they are illiterate persons they have the business knowledge. She can buy cotton, Make cotton bed, pillow, blanket and sell. The woman has the opportunity to keep the money earned from the sale for herself and spend also. Pinjara women engage themselves in agricultural activities in rural areas, leaving heritage career. They suffered to survive in COVID-19. They will eat when they earn it, but they will not survive if they do not work. They suffered greatly during the pandemic. This article concentrate on shows the Pinjara Ladies' endurance battle in Pandemic.

Temporal trends of semen quality among male partners of infertile Greek couples undergoing oocyte donation cycles: a retrospective study in a single IVF center

Introduction: Temporal global trends of sperm quality remain a matter of debate. It is widely believed that exposure to endocrine disruptors during fetal life can damage testicular function, cause testicular cancer and impair reproduction. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective, cohort study using data from a single IVF center located in Thessaloniki, Greece, during the period 2004-2013; including male partners of infertile Greek women, undergoing oocyte donation treatment for the first time. Local polynomial smoothing was used to assess visually possible trends in the data. One-way ANOVA was used for the comparison of means of variables of interest between years. The Pearson Chi-squared and the Chi-squared test for trend were employed to test for the independence and trend respectively of the occurrence of concentrations <20 million/ml and the year of study. Results: A total of 1113 participants were analyzed. The mean sperm concentration increased significantly between 2004 and 2012 (39.5million/ml versus 59.1million/ml; p<0.001), but without forming a visible upward trend; the mean total motility remained statistically unchanged (56% versus 49.8%; p=0.239), as well as the percentage of sperm concentration of less than 20million/mL (23.5% versus 24.4%; p=0.249), whereas the mean of rapid progressive motile sperm decreased significantly (41.1% versus 30%; p<0.001), forming a visible downward trend. Conclusions: Sperm motility and annual percentage of oligospermic males presenting with a sperm concentration of less than 20 million/mL showed an absence of significant change and temporal trend. Rapid progressive motile sperm deteriorated significantly, revealing a visible time-related downward trend.

Is sexual autonomy a protective factor against intimate partner violence? Evidence from 27 sub-Saharan African countries.

Though women in sub-Saharan Africa have increased risk of intimate sexual violence, research on the association between sexual autonomy and intimate partner violence among this population has not received the requisite attention. Consequently, we investigated if sexual autonomy is a protective factor against intimate partner violence among women in sub-Saharan Africa. Secondary data analysis was conducted based on the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHSs) of 27 sub-Saharan African countries from 2008 to 2021. A total of 104,523 married or cohabitating women were included in the study. We applied a multilevel Poisson regression model with robust variance to identify associated factors. Variables with a p-value<0.2 in the bi-variable multilevel Poisson regression analysis were considered for the multivariable analysis. The Adjusted Prevalence Ratio (APR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was reported, and variables with a p-value <0.05 were included in the multivariable analysis. The prevalence of intimate partner violence and sexual autonomy among women in SSA were 32.96% [95% CI: 32.68%, 33.25%] and 88.79% [95% CI: 88.59%, 88.97%], respectively. Women in Sierra Leone had the highest prevalence of IPV (52.71%) while Comoros had the lowest prevalence of IPV (8.09%). The prevalence of sexual autonomy was highest in Namibia (99.22%) and lowest in Mali (61.83%). The MOR value in the null model was 1.26. We found that women who had sexual autonomy are 1.28 times [APR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.17, 1.40] more likely to experience IPV than women who had no sexual autonomy. This study has demonstrated that sexual autonomy is significantly associated with intimate partner violence, however, it does not necessarily act as a protective factor. The study suggests the need for more education on intimate partner violence targeting women's partners. This can help secure the commitment of the perpetrators to rather become proponents of anti-intimate partner violence and further offer women the necessary support for them to attain their full fundamental rights in all spheres of life.

Magnitude and associated factors of unmet need for family planning among reproductive-aged women in Ethiopia: An umbrella review.

The World Health Organization defines women with an unmet need for family planning as individuals who are fecund, sexually active, and wanting to either to limit childbirth or postpone their next birth but are not utilizing any form of contraception. Previous meta-analyses and systematic reviews have focused on this topic, but no comprehensive summary of the evidence was available. Therefore, the aim of this study was to provide a summary of the findings on the unmet need for family planning among reproductive-aged women in Ethiopia. A search was conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and RESEARCH 4 LIFE including Hinari, to identify relevant systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies on the prevalence and determinants of the unmet need for family planning in Ethiopia. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews tool, and the estimates were pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis model. The umbrella review included five studies with a total of 56,169 reproductive-aged women. The pooled prevalence of unmet need for family planning was found to be 27.44% (95% CI: 22.32-32.55), with the heterogeneity index (I square = 99.45%, P = 0.000). Failure to discuss with her partner about family planning methods (OR: 2.90, 95% CI: 1.81, 4.00), being illiterate (OR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.42, 2.92), age at first marriage (OR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.30, 1.44), and educational status of woman's partner (OR: 2.61, 95% CI: 0.83, 4.40) were the factors significantly and positively associated with unmet needs for family planning. The study concludes that the unmet need for family planning in Ethiopia is a significant issue that can be addressed through increasing the educational levels of women and their partners, promoting open discussions about family planning, and preventing early marriages. Collaboration between families, school administrators, and healthcare providers is essential to mitigating this problem.

Reputation-surveillance model of mate guarding: community size and religious veiling

Abstract The mate guarding theory of conservative clothing posits that veiling reduces women's physical allure and sexual attractiveness, thereby diminishing men's attraction towards them and deterring potential rivals for a woman's partner. This theory argues that the importance of veiling is influenced by ecological factors in a way that it is of higher importance to control women's sexuality in harsher environments to secure paternal investment. A prediction of this theory is that the importance of veiling should be influenced by community size, where individuals’ reputations, specifically men's, might have different weightings, and their perceived sense of controlling a partner's activity may differ. Using pre-existing data from seven countries encompassing over 9000 individuals, the current study explored the association of town size and importance of veiling for women. Results showed a U-shaped relationship where in small towns and large cities, individuals, specifically men, give more importance to the veiling of women. This finding not only has multiple implications in terms of the effect of community size on male policing behaviours of women and sexual restrictions, but it also might point to a wider relationship regarding the association of community size and moral values.

Discrimination against gay and transgender people in Latin America: A correspondence study in the rental housing market

We assess the extent of discrimination against gay and transgender individuals in the rental housing markets of four Latin American countries. We conducted a large-scale field experiment building on the correspondence study methodology to examine interactions between property managers and fictitious couples engaged in searches on a major online rental housing platform. We find no evidence of discrimination against gay male couples, but we do find strong discrimination against heterosexual couples with a transgender woman partner (trans couples). Relative to heterosexual couples, trans couples receive 19% fewer responses, 27% fewer positive responses, and 23% fewer invitations to showings. We also assess whether the evidence is consistent with taste-based discrimination or statistical discrimination models by comparing response rates when couples signal being professionals with stable jobs (quality-job signal). While we find no significant effect of the signal for heterosexual or gay male couples, trans couples benefit from providing a strong labor market signal. Their call-back, positive-response, and invitation rates increase by 25%, 36% and 29%, respectively. These results suggest that discrimination against trans couples is consistent with statistical discrimination. Moreover, we find no evidence of heterosexual couples being favored over gay male couples, nor evidence of statistical discrimination for gay male or heterosexual couples.

The Effect of Passive Smoking during Pregnancy on Low Birth Weight

Introduction: A newborn who weighs less than 2,500 grams at delivery is considered low birth weight (LBW). There are many factors that can influence the determinants of LBW. One of the multifactorial is pre-natal exposure to tobacco smoke from the partner or environment in pregnant women (passive smokers) which provides negative effects for both the mother and the fetus. This study aims to determine the relationship between passive smoking during pregnancy and LBW at RSUD H. PadjonganDg. Ngalle Takalar in 2019.&#x0D; Methods: The research is an observational analysis with a case-control approach. The population in this study is all mothers who gave birth to babies in the delivery room at RSUD H. PadjonganDg. Ngalle Takalar had 139 mothers who gave birth from January to December 2019. The sampling technique in this study used purposive sampling&#x0D; Results: The results showed the pregnant woman's environment who was most often exposed to cigarette smoke with LBW (&lt;0.05), Cigarette smoke exposure in the home with LBW (&lt;0.05), Cigarette smoke exposure in the outdoor environment with LBW (&lt;0.05), Pregnant women who were exposed to cigarette smoke in one week with LBW(&lt;0.05), Frequency of time pregnant women were exposed to cigarette smoke in one day with LBW(&lt;0.05).&#x0D; Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between passive smoking during pregnancy and low birth weight (LBW).&#x0D; Keywords: Passive smoking; pregnancy; low birth weight

Hubungan Harga Diri Dengan Kecemasan Memiliki Pasangan Hidup Pada Perempuan Dewasa Awal

Anxiety about finding a life partner can be interpreted as a feeling of fear that early adult women experience when they find that they do not yet have a partner. The aim of this research is to determine the relationship between self-esteem and choice of life partner in early adult women. This research was conducted on early adult women aged 18-40 years who did not have a partner or were not married with a total of 49 subjects. Data collection was carried out using a self-esteem scale and an anxiety scale. The data analysis was carried out using the parametric Pearson correlation test using SPSS. From the results of data analysis, a significance value of 0.002 was obtained, which is less than 0.05. And the resulting Pearson Correlation coefficient value is 0.252, which indicates the direction of the correlation is positive. This shows that there is a positive and significant relationship between self-esteem and anxiety. This means that the higher the level of self-esteem, the higher the level of anxiety, and vice versa, the lower the level of self-esteem, the lower the anxiety value.

Violence in childhood and community contexts: a multi-level model of factors associated with women's intimate partner violence experience in Samoa

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects approximately 26% of women worldwide and is driven by a complex interplay of factors across individual, relationship/household, community and societal levels. Individual and relationship/household factors are well studied however little empirical evidence exists on factors at the community level that drive IPV which are needed to inform prevention interventions. We conducted a cross-sectional, multi-level analysis of factors associated with women's IPV experience in Samoa using the 2019-20 Demographic and Health Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. We used hierarchical multivariable logistic regression to assess individual, relationship/household and community level effects on women's risk of physical, sexual and/or emotional IPV. The past year prevalence of physical, sexual and/or emotional IPV among women in Samoa was 31.4%. At the individual and relationship/household level, women's employment, witnessing IPV between parents, experiencing physical abuse from a parent, and partner's alcohol use and controlling behaviours were associated with higher risk of IPV. At the community level, higher levels of women with higher education and involved in household decision-making, and higher levels of men in employment were protective against IPV. A complex interplay of factors across individual, relationship/household and community levels are associated with women's experience of IPV in Samoa. Experiences of IPV are embedded within a broader context of violence against children and harmful alcohol use. Community contexts, including women's empowerment and men's employment, are also associated with women's IPV experience in Samoa. These findings not only demonstrate that public health issues such as IPV, violence against children and harmful alcohol use should be addressed together as part of multi-pronged approaches, but they point towards the importance of community-level analyses for designing and delivering community-based interventions. Greater knowledge of community dynamics will enable community-based interventions to create environments at the community level that support meaningful and sustainable change towards IPV prevention. Funding for this study was provided by UKRI (ref. MR/S033629/1).

Informing about childbirth without increasing anxiety: a qualitative study of first-time pregnant women and partners’ perceptions and needs

BackgroundComplications requiring medical interventions during childbirth are far from rare, even after uncomplicated pregnancies. It is often a challenge for maternity healthcare professionals to know how to prepare future parents for these eventualities without causing unnecessary anxiety. Studies on traumatic birth experiences have shown that feelings of loss of control, insufficient information, and lack of participation in medical decisions during childbirth are factors of difficult experiences. However, little is known about the information and communication needs of expectant parents about childbirth during the prenatal period. To gain a deeper understanding of the information and communication needs of first-time pregnant women and partners, we explored their perceptions and expectations for their upcoming childbirth, and the actions they initiated to prepare for it.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted individually with first-time pregnant women and partners of pregnant women aged 18 years or older, with an uncomplicated pregnancy. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes and sub-themes.ResultsTwenty expectant parents (15 pregnant women and five partners of pregnant women) were interviewed. Six themes were identified: Childbirth event; Childbirth experience; Childbirth environment; Organisation of care; Participation in decision making; Roles within the couple and transition to parenthood.ConclusionsThis study contributes to a better understanding of the information needs of future parents expecting their first child. Results highlighted that the notion of “childbirth risks” went beyond the prospect of complications during birth, but also encompassed concerns related to a feeling of loss of control over the event. Expectant parents showed an ambivalent attitude towards consulting risk information, believing it important to prepare for the unpredictability of childbirth, while avoiding information they considered too worrying. They expressed a desire to receive concrete, practical information, and needed to familiarise themselves in advance with the birth environment. Establishing a respectful relationship with the healthcare teams was also considered important. The findings suggest that information on childbirth should not be limited to the transmission of knowledge, but should primarily be based on the establishment of a relationship of trust with healthcare professionals, taking into account each person’s individual values and expectations.

Khat chewing and its associated factors among pregnant women in Chiro district, eastern Ethiopia: a community-based study.

Despite its deleterious consequences, khat chewing is escalating worldwide. However, there is a lack of evidence about the extent of khat chewing among pregnant women in Ethiopia, particularly in the current study area. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of current khat chewing and its associated factors among pregnant women in Chiro district, eastern Ethiopia. This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Chiro district from November 1 to 30, 2022 G.C. Study participants were selected using the systematic random sampling technique. An interview-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data through a house-to-house survey. The data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and analyzed in STATA 14 software. Characteristics of study participants were summarized using descriptive analysis, and binary logistic regression was used to identify determinants of khat chewing. A total of 409 pregnant women participated in this study, with a response rate of 99%. The overall prevalence of khat chewing was 60.4% (95% CI: 55.5%, 65.2%). Religion (AOR: 2.08; 95% CI: 1.13, 3.82), khat cultivation (AOR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.25, 0.77), partner khat use (AOR: 5.54; 95% CI: 3.11, 9.88), pre-pregnancy khat use (AOR: 9.95; 95% CI: 5.55, 17.81), antenatal care (ANC) visit (AOR: 2.71; 95% CI: 1.41, 5.21), and mental distress (AOR: 4.89; 95% CI: 2.38, 10.02) were significantly associated with current khat chewing. The majority of pregnant women in the study area practice khat chewing. Thus, accessible and comprehensive pre-conception and pre-natal care incorporating the prevention and management of antenatal khat chewing is crucial to overcome this problem. Provision of mental healthcare involving partners of pregnant women is also important to reduce the extent and impacts of khat chewing during pregnancy. Further longitudinal studies triangulated with qualitative designs are recommended.

Navigating relationship dynamics, pregnancy and fatherhood in the Bukhali trial: a qualitative study with men in Soweto, South Africa

BackgroundSouth Africa has a complex range of historical, social, political, and economic factors that have shaped fatherhood. In the context of the Bukhali randomised controlled trial with young women in Soweto, South Africa, a qualitative study was conducted with the male partners of young women who had become pregnant during the trial. This exploratory study aimed to explore individual perceptions around relationship dynamics, their partner’s pregnancy, and fatherhood of partners of young women in Soweto, South Africa.MethodsIndividual, in-depth interviews were conducted with male partners (fathers, n = 19, 25–46 years old) of Bukhali participants. A thematic approach was taken to the descriptive and exploratory process of analysis, and three final themes and subthemes were identified: (1) relationship dynamics (nature of relationship, relationship challenges); (2) pregnancy (feelings about the pregnancy, effect of the pregnancy on their relationship, providing support during pregnancy; and 3) fatherhood (view of fatherhood, roles of fathers, influences on views and motivation, challenges of fatherhood).ResultsWhile most male participants were in a committed (“serious”) relationship with their female partner, less than half of them were cohabiting. Most reported that their partner’s pregnancy was not planned, and shared mixed feelings about the pregnancy (e.g., happy, excited, shocked, nervous), although their views about fatherhood were overwhelmingly positive. Many were concerned about how they would economically provide for their child and partner, particularly those who were unemployed. Participants identified both general and specific ways in which they provided support for their partner, e.g., being present, co-attending antenatal check-ups, providing material resources. For many, the most challenging aspect of fatherhood was having to provide financially. They seemed to understand the level of responsibility expected of them as a father, and that their involvement and presence related to love for and connection with their child. Participants’ responses indicated that there were some changes in the norms around fatherhood, suggesting that there is a possibility for a shift in the fatherhood narrative in their context.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that the complex array of factors influencing fatherhood in South Africa continue to play out in this generation, although promising changes are evident.

Why Pakistani Women Do Not Use Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices: A Systematic Review of Barriers and Misconceptions.

This review explores barriers limiting the adoption of Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices (IUCDs) in Pakistan, focusing exclusively on local articles. As Pakistan's high population calls for widespread contraception, we aim to pinpoint obstacles hindering IUCD utilization, irrespective of parity. We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Google Scholar, PakMedinet, and Wiley Online Library for English-language primary studies published between 2000 and 2022, reporting on IUCD utilization in Pakistan. Our analysis reveals multiple barriers impeding IUCD use in Pakistan. These encompass patriarchal social norms, male dominance, low education, socioeconomic status, and unemployment. Post-insertion health concerns, inadequate counseling, government commitment, and awareness were also identified barriers. Provider confidence, client trust, women's autonomy, social constraints, and limited male partner involvement hindered IUCD adoption. A desire for larger families and male offspring, vague religious beliefs, fear, and misconceptions further restricted usage. Accessibility and high service costs also posed challenges. This review highlights prevailing impediments to IUCD adoption in Pakistan, encompassing knowledge gaps, motivation deficits, resistance from husbands and in-laws, cultural and religious beliefs, limited access, and communication barriers. To promote IUCDs as a modern contraceptive method, it is essential to raise awareness among both men and women. Active involvement of religious leaders and community stakeholders is crucial in addressing these social factors hindering IUCD utilization.

Penile skin microbiota / microbiome in healthy men and some diseases

The study of the cutaneous microbiota/microbiome of the male genital is relevant not only to understand "normality" for this biotope but also to correctly interpret the results obtained from patients with infectious-inflammatory diseases or postoperative infectious-inflammatory complications of penile skin. The study aimed to generalize and critically analyze data on microbial contamination of various areas of the penile skin by conducting a systematic review of publications. The search led to the selection of eight articles published in 2011 ­– 2023 that investigated the microbiota / microbiome features of the penile skin in health and some diseases. Thus, in sexually active healthy men, the penile skin microbiota / microbiome partly reflects the vaginal microbiome of sexual partners. After unprotected sexual contact, the frequency of detection and the number of Lactobacillus increase in the penile skin microbiota. In general, Corynebacteriaceae dominate on the penile skin, while Prevotellaceae, nc Clostridiales, Porphyromonadaceae, Staphylococcaceae, Bifidobacteriaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Veillonellaceae, Anaerococcus are less frequently recorded. Circumcision has a significant effect on the bacterial diversity of the penile skin. Although data regarding the penile skin microbiota/microbiome in various diseases are scarce, certain interactions have been noted. Thus, in healthy sexually active male partners of women with bacterial vaginosis, the number of bacteria associated with bacterial vaginosis increases and Corynebacterium decreases. In HIV-positive men, Staphylococcus, Faecalibacterium, Strenotrophominas, Jonquetella, Ruminococcus, Roseburia, Pseudochrobactrum and Lamia predominate on the penis skin. It is also noted that circumcision reduces the risk of HPV and HIV infections. Knowledge of not only the bacterial, but also fungal diversity of the penile skin microbiota is of great clinical importance, because conditionally pathogenic yeast-like fungi under certain conditions can cause a few diseases. Thus, this review analyses the microbial composition of penile skin in normal and some diseases, revealing a great gap in current knowledge of penile skin microbial assemblages. Studies are needed to better understand the microbial composition of normal penile skin and its impact on the results of reconstructive and plastic surgeries using penile skin.