Towards a deeper understanding of male involvement in the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV in the Bogodogo District of the Central Region of Burkina Faso

INTRODUCTION: Men can play crucial roles at each stage of HIV mother-to-child-transmission (MTCT) prevention. Low male involvement in preventative MTCT (PMTCT) in Burkina Faso is partially associated with increased MTCT rates in the country. Male involvement is at the intersection of individual experiences, social locations, organizational and systemic forces. It is crucial that PMTCT interventions are co-designed with all stakeholders, using approaches which account for such interconnected elements. This study, aims to provide a deeper understanding of male involvement using an intersectionality framework. METHODS: We used an intersectional theoretical approach as it positions male involvement at the intersection of social location, systemic forces, individual experiences, and dynamics within couples. We applied an interpretative qualitative description design. The study was performed at St-Camille’s hospital in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Our sample was theoretical to contrast for individual experiences and socioeconomic characteristics. Eligible women were identified via chart review and invited to participate with their male partners. We conducted individual semi-structured interviews with 12 couples. We performed a semantic thematic analysis using QDA Miner to identify themes and patterns among subjective perspectives, while accounting for variations between individuals. RESULTS: We interviewed 12 couples; 6 were serodiscordant. All women were HIV-positive. Participant ages ranged from 23 to 48 years. We found male involvement to be multidimensional and multifaceted, covering a large spectrum (from rejection to true partnership) and diverse involvement. Male involvement was limited by competing priorities, contradictory expectations, organizational opportunities and societal beliefs. We found interactions with caregivers impacted male involvement. CONCLUSION: This study contributed to enhancing our understanding of male involvement in PMTCT of HIV as a dynamic result of the interconnected individual, organizational and systemic experiences. Increasing male involvement will require implementation of coordinated interventions. Such interventions must strive to simultaneously integrate individual, organizational and systemic actions together.