There are high rates of fatherhood and STIs among young incarcerated men. Here we focus on a sample of men incarcerated in a Scottish Young Offender Institution, analyzing their contraceptive use accounts. Researchers compared those who report low or no use of contraception with those who say high use.
Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 40 young male offenders. Participants were purposively sampled using answers from a questionnaire administered to 67 inmates. Data from 31 men reporting either 14 high or 17 low/no contraception use are analyzed here.
Low users emphasize their desire for pleasure and appear fatalistic about both pregnancy and disease prevention. High users report a strong desire to protect themselves and their ‘manliness’ by using condoms to avoid the risk of STIs and, to a lesser extent, pregnancy. Both sets of men present themselves in a traditionally masculine way, with high users emphasizing power, authority, and self-control to justify their non-risk-taking contraceptive behavior.
The study concluded that the high users’ masculine narrative regarding self-protection might be an effective intervention method with potential and actual low users. The researchers should grasp the opportunity to work with young men while incarcerated.
Reference: https://www.freelancer.pk/dashboard
