Perspectives toward Engaging Men in Abortion Decision-Making and Care-Seeking: A Qualitative Analysis of Women’s Experiences in Kinshasa

Selena Anjur-Dietrich, Johns Hopkins School Of Public Health

Men’s responses to an unexpected pregnancy matter for determining pregnancy outcomes and can influence the quality of pregnant people’s abortion experiences, yet we lack insight into why pregnant people opt to involve their partners. This study used qualitative thematic analysis to explore people’s decision-making around engaging partners in the period leading up to and including their abortion, drawing from in-depth interviews with 52 women who recently had abortions in Kinshasa. The timing and frequency of communication with the partner varied widely. We identified multiple ways in which people conceptualized discussing their pregnancies and abortions with their partners: risking loss of control over the pregnancy, verbalizing commitment to each other, or a space for negotiating the future of the couple. We will supplement these qualitative findings with descriptive analyses of the population-based quantitative survey of women in Kinshasa and Kongo Central provinces from which this qualitative follow-up sample was drawn (specifically focusing on sociodemographic and community-level factors associated with partner involvement and abortion outcomes). Our findings highlight the need to empower pregnant people to achieve reproductive goals independent of partner support (including reducing financial barriers and provider bias), and to support men who may not yet feel equipped to become parents.

Keywords: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Families, Unions and Households, Gender Dynamics, Qualitative data/methods/approaches

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