Who does what? Reproductive responsibilities between heterosexual partners

Figures & data

Table 1. Search strategy.

Column A	Column B
Contracept*	Burden
Birth Control	Equality
Fertility	Work
Reproduct*	Responsibility

* Some terms were truncated to include multiple variations. For example, contracept* could include contraceptive or contraception.

Table 2. Inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Inclusion criteria	Exclusion criteria
Published in 2015 and afterwards AND Written in English AND Original research AND Study set in a high-income country AND Explores how reproductive responsibilities and burdens are conceptualised and negotiated by heterosexual partners	Commentary, essays and editorial pieces including grey literature OR Related to specific populations (those with HIV/cancer, sex workers, endometriosis) OR Infertility or IVF studies OR Studies about prospective male contraceptive options

Figure 1. Study design and article selection.

Table 3. Included studies.

Brown

Author	Title	Year	Country	Study design	Participants	Aim	Key findings	Terminology used
Altshuler et al.	Going through it together": Being accompanied by loved ones during birth and abortion	2021	USA, Northern California	Semi-structured interviews; grounded theory analysis	20 women aged 19–42 7 Black women, 7 Latina women, 4 white women, 2 mixed-race women	To explore the meaning people attribute to chosen companions during birth and abortion.	Companions, if desired in childbirth and abortion, may reduce physical, mental and emotional burdens.	Pregnant people’s burdens, physical mental and emotional burdens
‘They think it’s all up to the girls’: gender, risk and responsibility for contraception	2015	UK, Northern England	Secondary analysis of qualitative data; constant comparative approach	Interviews with 24 women aged 16–20 after or prior to termination of pregnancy Focus groups with 5 men aged 14–18 Ethnicity not specified	To explore the role of gender in responsibility for contraception.	Women thought men viewed contraception as women’s work, young men reported contraception responsibility should be shared. Shared responsibility was more likely in long-term relationships.	Responsibility for contraception
Campbell, Turok and White	Fertility Intentions and Perspectives on Contraceptive Involvement Among Low-Income Men Aged 25–55	2019	USA, Alabama	Semi-structured interviews; content analysis	26 low-income men aged 25–55. 15 men identified as Black, 10 identified as white and 1 identified as Latino	To explore low-income men’s fertility intentions, contraceptive knowledge and involvement.	Some men were uncertain about their pregnancy desires, many lacked knowledge to avoid unintended pregnancy.	Procreative responsibility
Dalessandro, James-Hawkins and Sennott	Strategic Silence: College Men and Hegemonic Masculinity in Contraceptive Decision Making	2019	USA,(Western US university)	Semi-structured interviews; thematic analysis	44 college men aged 18–24 37 identified as white, 2 identified as Black, 4 identified as Latino, 1 identified as Pacific Islander. Most identified as upper-middle class or middle-class.	To explore how college men approach pregnancy prevention and resolution.	Men’s silence prior to sex upholds women taking responsibility for contraception.	Contraceptive and pregnancy work
Daugherty	How Young Men at High Risk of Fathering an Unintended Birth Talk About Their Procreative Identities	2016	USA, Philadelphia PA and Hartford CT	Focus groups; thematic analysis	African American and Puerto Rican Men aged 18–25 Participant number not specified (Four focus groups of 8–12 members)	To explore how men at risk of unintended pregnancy talk about procreative consciousness and responsibility.	Men’s desire for sexual activity and positive outlook on fatherhood outweighed sense of responsibility and contributed to unintended pregnancies.	Procreative responsibility
Fefferman and Upadhyay	Hybrid masculinity and young men’s circumscribed engagement in contraceptive management	2018	USA, San Francisco Bay area	In-depth interviews; grounded theory analysis	40 unmarried low-income men and women aged 15–24. 45% Hispanic or Latino, 23% multi-racial, 18% Black, 13% Filipino, 1 Chinese American	To explore how low-income men and women understand the role of men in contraceptive management.	Men actively engaged with partners to manage contraception but faced structural barriers to their involvement.	Reproductive responsibility Contraceptive responsibility
Gilliam et al.	Perceived Dual Method Responsibilities by Relationship Type Among African-American Male Adolescents	2017	USA, Chicago South Side	Survey; logistic regression modelling	348 African American males 14–19 years	To describe the extent to which African-American male adolescents perceived responsibility for contraception and perceived importance of dual method use.	Respondents felt partially responsible for pregnancy prevention, especially within committed relationships.	Contraception responsibility, responsibility for contraception
Grenfell et al.	Fertility and digital technology: narratives of using smartphone app ‘Natural Cycles’ while trying to conceive	2021	UK, nationwide	Individual interviews; grounded theory analysis	24 women aged 24–43 3 identified as Asian or Asian British, 2 as multiple ethnic groups, 18 as white and 3 described their ethnicity as Black, African, Caribbean or Black British 6 white male partners aged 30–39	To explore the experiences of women and their partners using fertility awareness app ‘natural cycles’.	Apps can reinforce unequal gendered responsibilities when trying to conceive.	Responsibility for fertility, emotional labour, gendered responsibilities for conception
Hamm et al.	“It’s her body”: low-income men’s perceptions of limited reproductive agency	2019	USA, Pennsylvania	Individual telephone interviews, content analysis, the constant comparison method and thematic analysis1	58 low-income men aged 19–45 31 identified as Black and 27 identified as White	To explore the attitudes of low-income men in the US on contraception and pregnancy.	Many men perceived no control over when they had children, do not frequently discuss contraception with partner.	Work of pregnancy prevention, responsibility over reproduction, fertility work
Hamper	A fertility app for two? Women’s perspectives on sharing conceptive fertility work with male partners	2021	UK, London	Semi-structured interviews analysis method unclear	16 women aged 30–44 Ethnicity not specified	To explore the experiences of heterosexual women using fertility apps to conceive and their views on involving male partners.	Most women wanted to share conception work but were hindered by traditional gendered ideas of natural conception.	Conceptive fertility work
James-Hawkin et al	Conflicting contraceptive norms for men: equal responsibility versus women’s bodily autonomy	2019	USA, (Western US university)	Semi-structured interviews; thematic analysis	44 college men aged 18–24 37 identified as white, 2 identified as Black, 4 identified as Latino, 1 identified as Other. Most identified as upper-middle class or middle-class	To explores how men participate in contraceptive use and pregnancy prevention.	Men felt contraceptive decisions should be shared but that decisions ultimately reside with women.	Contraceptive responsibility
Nicholas et al. 2021	Men and masculinities in qualitative research on vasectomy: perpetuation or progress?	2021	Multiple high-income countries - New Zealand, USA, UK	Scoping Review	10 papers; predominately men with or without their female partners	To identify key findings from qualitative studies exploring men’s perspectives on vasectomy and situate these in masculinities theory.	Men’s attitudes to vasectomy remain underpinned by masculinitist narratives.	Reproductive responsibility, contraceptive burden, contraceptive responsibility
Leyser-Whalen and Berenson	Situating oneself in the intersectional hierarchy: racially diverse, low-income women discuss having little agency in vasectomy decisions	2019	USA, Houston TX metro area	Semi-structured interviews; grounded theory analysis	40 low-income women aged 24–43. 29 Hispanic women, 4 non-hispanic African American women, 11 non-hispanic white women.	To explore how racially diverse low-income women discuss sterilisation with their partners.	Most women displayed agency in their decision to get female sterilisation but had little control over male partners vasectomy decisions.	Reproductive Burden, contraceptive responsibility, fertility work
Sharp, Richter and Rutherford	"Um…I'm Pregnant." Young Men’s Attitudes Towards Their Role in Abortion Decision-Making	2015	Australia; New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory	Individual interviews; thematic analysis	10 men aged 20–23 Ethnicity not described	To understand young men’s perspectives on their role in unplanned pregnancy decision-making.	Men wanted more involvement in abortion decisions but thought the ultimate decision should reside with women.	Contraception responsibility
Wigginton et al.	Who takes responsibility for contraception, according to young Australian women?	2018	Australia, nationwide	Mixed-methods longitudinal survey	1, 906 women aged 18–23 years.	To explore young women’s pattern of and perceptions of contraceptive responsibility.	Most women indicated that they took responsibility for contraception. The data highlighted varied perceived meanings of contraceptive responsibility.	Contraceptive justice, contraceptive responsibility
Wilson	British Couples’ Experiences of Men as Partners in Family Planning	2020	UK northern city in England	Semi-structured interviews; discourse analysis	10 couples aged 21–30 All participants identified as White British	To explore how British couples’ experience men partners’ practices in relation to family planning?	Men were able to take some responsibility for family planning despite the barriers that existed to their engagement.	Contraceptive responsibility, reproductive responsibilities
Woodhams et al.	Perceived responsibility for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection prevention among young African American men: An exploratory focus group study	2018	USA, Chicago south side	Qualitative focus groups; content analysis	24 African American male high school students aged 14–19	To explore contraceptive attitudes of young African American men and perceived responsibility for pregnancy prevention.	Men wanted to use condoms to protect against STI’s, but pregnancy prevention was perceived as shared or a female responsibility.	Pregnancy prevention responsibility, condom responsibility. Sexual responsibility

¹ As described by authors.

Nicholas, L., C. E. Newman, J. R. Botfield, G. Terry, D. Bateson, and P. Aggleton. 2021. “Men and Masculinities in Qualitative Research on Vasectomy: Perpetuation or Progress?” Health Sociology Review 30 (2):127–142.

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