Male intentions to cause pregnancy: Findings from a literature review

Reproductive health and family planning research have historically lacked a male focus. However, the last two decades saw a marked increase in efforts aimed at increasing the understanding of the complexities of the male role in reproductive health and family planning. This male-focused research still pales in comparison to the diversity of research related to the overall understanding of the female experience however, particularly as it relates to African American pregnancy intentions and rates of pregnancy for teen males. In this session, we provide an overview of studies exploring pregnancy intentions and pregnancy rates among males. Peer-reviewed literature since 1980 was examined for better understanding male pregnancy intentions and rates of (teen) pregnancy. Following an extensive literature search, only 9 studies were identified that measured self reported rates of pregnancy and/or pregnancy intentions. Studies varied widely in participant characteristics, follow-up period, and measurement of intention. This research seems to indicate a pattern whereby males who had more adverse childhood experiences, were involved in high risk behaviors, or had more positive feelings towards pregnancy, report significantly higher rates of having caused a pregnancy. We propose preliminary hypotheses based on the Theory of Planned Behavior that may assist in explaining these findings. Lastly, we use the Mobile Youth Survey to offer an example of new directions for research and practice, specifically with impoverished African American teen males, in order to better understand and address their reproductive attitudes and behaviors.