Hindering Factors towards Male Participation in the PMCTCT HIV/AIDS Prevention Program: A Case of Lesotho

Abstract

HIV/AIDS remains a concern in many countries globally. Different governments have put in place preventative measures aimed at ensuring healthy nations. PMCTC HIV/AIDS as one antenatal preventive program, is a safe motherhood initiative offering comprehensive reproductive services that are more inclusive. A qualitative descriptive and explorative achieved through in-depth one-to-one interviews done established factors hindering the males in Lesotho from participating in the prevention of mother to child human immunodeficiency virus transmission (PMTCT). Tesch approach was used to analyse qualitative data and the following four themes emerged; Socio-cultural practices, lack of time by most men who are working, inadequate information to the male partners regarding reproductive related issues and educative strategies. The concerns raised by Basotho men are enlightening and call for management of health care services to align research with transformative legislation influencing reproductive health care policy. Measures aimed at improving internal processes within PMCTC umbrella address administrative issues compromising care. Therefore, constant capacity development on nursing teams to buy-into offering inclusive client centred PMCTC services is a sensible approach.