Identifying barriers to post-placental intrauterine device placement: male partners’ views

Abstract

Objective: The use of post-placental intrauterine devices (IUDs) has potential to address the health issues of suboptimal breastfeeding rates and short inter-pregnancy intervals. An understudied factor that may influence choice of breastfeeding-compatible contraception among postpartum women is their romantic partner. We aimed to identify male partner influences on women’s postpartum breastfeeding-compatible contraception choices.

Methods: Questionnaires were administered to 75 men in Cleveland, OH, USA. Data on partner priorities, opinions and knowledge about breastfeeding and contraception, and barriers to partner IUD receipt were collected. Survey data were summarised using frequencies and percentages, and univariate logistic regression models were used to explore associations between responses.

Results: Participants were predominantly African American, unmarried and had at least one child. Twenty-six participants (36%) reported using contraception with their current partner; men who had discussions and agreed about contraception with their partner were more likely to use it. Thirty-nine men (54%) intended for a future child to breastfeed; this intention was more likely for men who had a child that was breastfed previously and for those with knowledge of breastfeeding benefits. Only 25 (35%) thought a post-placental IUD was safe for breastfeeding mothers; correct IUD knowledge and a partner’s positive IUD experience were significantly associated with this response.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that knowledge about breastfeeding and contraception as well as experiential learning regarding breastfeeding and contraception within a partnered relationship are important and that minimal prior experience and low knowledge in these areas may be a male partner barrier to post-placental IUD placement for breastfeeding mothers.

摘要

目的：胎盘娩出后放置宫内节育器（IUD）有可能解决母乳喂养率不佳和妊娠间隔时间短等健康问题。影响产后妇女选择母乳喂养兼顾避孕方法的一个未被研究的因素是她们的浪漫伴侣。我们的目的是确定男性伴侣对妇女产后哺乳兼顾避孕方法选择的影响。

方法：研究人员对美国俄亥俄州克利夫兰市的75名男性进行了问卷调查。收集了有关伴侣优先事项的数据、关于母乳喂养和避孕方式的意见和知识及应用伴侣IUD的困难所在。调查数据应用频率和百分比进行总结, 并应用单变量逻辑回归模型来探索回答之间的关联。

结果：参与者主要是非洲裔美国人, 未婚, 至少有一个孩子。26名参与者（36%）报告说他们与现任伴侣采取了避孕措施；与伴侣讨论并达成一致的男性更有可能采取避孕措施。39名男性（54%）打算给未来的孩子母乳喂养；有过母乳喂养孩子的男性和了解母乳喂养益处的男性更容易产生这种想法。只有25人（35%）认为胎盘娩出后放置宫内节育器对母乳喂养的母亲是安全的；正确的宫内节育器知识和伴侣积极的宫内节育器体验与这一反应显著相关。

结论：我们的研究结果表明, 有关母乳喂养和避孕的知识以及在伴侣关系中有关母乳喂养和避孕的经验性学习是很重要的, 而在这些方面的最少的先前经验和较为欠缺的知识可能是男性伴侣对母乳喂养母亲于胎盘娩出后放置节育器的障碍。

Keywords:

• African Americans
• breastfeeding intention
• males
• postpartum contraception
• post-placental intrauterine device

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge Brian Moore, president and CEO of Passages, Inc., and the men attending the workforce development classes who participated. We thank Sandi Hoch (Boot Camps for New Dads programme) and the dads who participated. We acknowledge contributions of the study’s community advisory board.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by an American Academy of Pediatrics Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) Planning Grant to Lydia Furman.