Fathers, futures, and fragile contexts: men’s intergenerational perspectives on pregnancy in a low income South African setting

Abstract

Men’s involvement in their partner’s pregnancy in low-income South African settings is influenced by a complex interplay of contextual factors that influence the nature and extent of their participation. The confluence of these factors contributes to limiting men’s adoption of an intergenerational perspective of their partner’s pregnancy. The adoption of an intergenerational perspective by men may enhance outcomes for Thompson et al., 2026 maternal and child health, but it remains understudied. This qualitative study explored intergenerational perspectives of men in Soweto, South Africa, regarding their partners’ pregnancies. An exploratory descriptive qualitative approach was employed. We conducted in-depth individual interviews with 19 male partners (fathers = 19, aged 25–46 years) of pregnant women enrolled in the Bukhali trial in Soweto and analyzed data using a reflexive thematic approach. Three themes were generated from the data: unplanned pregnancy, men’s fears and hesitations surrounding the discovery of their health status, and the sociocultural and institutional representation of pregnancy as predominantly feminine. The confluence of these factors served as barriers to men adopting intergenerational perspectives of their partner’s pregnancy. Addressing these barriers is essential to conscientizing men of their critical role in reproductive health as well as promoting increased participation of men in maternal and child health.

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ORCID for Shane A. Norris: orcid.org/0000-0001-7124-3788

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