OA02.01
Background: Constructively engaging male partners in women-centered health programs such as family planning and PMTCT has resulted in both improved health and relationship outcomes. Concerted efforts to engage men in women's microbicide use for HIV prevention could make it easier for women to access and use microbicides, if an effective product is identified.
Methods: We conducted primary and secondary analyses of male engagement data from six qualitative studies implemented in conjunction with microbicide trials in South Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania. The analyses included 535 interviews and 107 focus groups with trial participants, male partners, and community members. We synthesized the findings across the studies and developed recommendations for future research and microbicide introduction.
Results: The majority of women in steady partnerships wanted their partner's agreement to use microbicides. Women whose male partners were resistant to microbicide use used a number of strategies to obtain their approval. Among men who were aware of their partner's microbicide use, involvement ranged from opposition to agreement/non-interference to active support. Both men and women expressed a desire for men to have access to information about microbicides. Some women and men said that it would be helpful if male partners could talk with a health provider about microbicides; however, men were hesitant to go to the clinic during the trials because of their work schedules, fear of HIV testing, and stigma.
Conclusions: We recommend counselling women on whether and how to involve their partners, providing couples' counselling on microbicides, and targeting men with community education and mass media to increase their awareness and acceptance of microbicides. These activities should be tested in microbicide trials, open-label studies, and demonstration projects to identify effective male engagement approaches to include in eventual microbicide introduction. Efforts to engage men must take care not to diminish women's agency.
