Racial differences in low-income Men's fertility intentions and behavior

描述：意外怀孕在美国是一个严重的问题，对妇女、她们的孩子和社会都有不利的后果。意外怀孕在低收入和少数群体中尤其普遍，这种差距助长了弱势群体经历的不利循环。我们正在进行的工作是研究社会文化因素如何导致低收入、非裔美国人和白人女性的不良避孕行为，结果表明，她们的男性伴侣的促孕和强迫行为可能在这些人群中观察到的高意外怀孕率中发挥了重要作用。国家和国际计划生育倡导者和指导方针呼吁让男性更积极地参与避孕决策，但缺乏关于男性对避孕用法和怀孕的态度以及态度如何因种族而异的文献，限制了与文化相关的干预措施的发展。因此，了解男性与生育相关的态度和行为是关键的下一步。我们建议利用对匹兹堡60名低收入、成年AA和白人男性的深入采访进行定性研究，以深入了解男性在意外怀孕高危人群中的生育意图和行为。这项研究的一个特别重点是 是为了审查关于生殖胁迫的态度和社会规范，这是男性生育行为的一个潜在终点。我们还将密切关注似乎是两个种族群体各自独有的主题。这项研究的具体目的是：1)描述低收入男性生育意愿和行为的光谱；2)探索男性生育意愿和行为之间的关系；3)了解文化和结构性因素如何塑造男性的生育意图和行为。由于男性伴侣似乎在怀孕决定和结果中发挥着重要作用，有必要更好地了解他们对避孕、怀孕和为人父母的背景观点。这项研究将补充我们正在进行的对女性的定性工作，以提供影响计划生育的因素的更完整的图景，并使我们能够准确地确定导致宾夕法尼亚州匹兹堡低收入、AA和白人人群中不良避孕行为和意外怀孕风险的特定背景因素。这项研究的最终目标是赋予妇女和男子权力，无论其种族或社会经济地位如何，都能作出有效的生育决定，减少意外和/或单方面想要的怀孕。

DESCRIPTION: Unintended pregnancy is a substantial problem in the United States, with adverse consequences for women, their children, and society. Unintended pregnancy is especially prevalent among low-income and minority populations, and such disparities contribute to the cycle of disadvantage experienced by vulnerable populations. Our ongoing work examining how socio-cultural factors contribute to poor contraceptive behaviors among low-income, African-American and white women has revealed that pregnancy-promoting and coercive behavior by their male partners may play a significant role in the high unintended pregnancy rates observed in these populations. National and international family planning advocates and guidelines are calling for engaging men more actively in contraceptive decision making, yet the dearth of literature on men's attitudes towards contraceptive use and pregnancy and how attitudes may vary by race curtails the development of culturally-relevant interventions. Therefore, gaining insight into men's fertility-related attitudes and behaviors is a critical next step. We propose to conduct a qualitative study utilizing in-depth interviews with 60 low-income, adult AA and white men in Pittsburgh to gain insight about men's fertility intentions and behavior in a population that is at high risk of unintended pregnancy. A particular focus of this study will be to examine attitudes and social norms regarding reproductive coercion as one potential end of the spectrum of male fertility behavior. We will also pay close attention to themes that appear to be unique to each of the two racial groups. The specific aims of the study are to: 1) describe the spectrum of fertility intentions and behaviors among low-income men, 2) explore the relationship between men's fertility intentions and behaviors; and 3) understand how cultural and structural factors shape men's fertility intentions and behaviors. As male partners appear to play a significant role in pregnancy decisions and outcomes, there is a need to better understand their contextualized perspectives on contraception, pregnancy, and parenthood. This study will complement our ongoing qualitative work with women to provide a more complete picture of the factors that influence family planning and allow us to pinpoint specific contextual factors that contribute to poor contraceptive behaviors and risk for unintended pregnancy among low-income, AA and white populations in Pittsburgh, PA. The ultimate goal of this research is to empower women and men, regardless of race or socioeconomic status, to make effective reproductive decisions and reduce unintended and/or unilaterally- desired pregnancies.