Carlos Eduardo CuinhanePhD in Sociology in 2018 by Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), BelgiumMaster in Anthropology in 2009 by Nairobi University, KenyaBachelor honor in Sociology in 2006 by Eduardo Mondlane UniversityBachelor in Social Sciences in 2004 by Eduardo Mondlane UniversityPosition: since 2010, Lecturer and researcher of Sociology at Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Eduardo Mondlane University
Introduction: Male involvement has been considered crucial to prevent passing HIV from mother to ... more Introduction: Male involvement has been considered crucial to prevent passing HIV from mother to infant in sub-Saharan Africa. However, little is known about how HIV-positive Mozambican men and their female partners perceive and involve themselves in pregnancy and breastfeeding. This study analyses HIV-positive men’s role on compliance of medical advice recommended to prevent passing HIV from mother to infant. Material and method: A qualitative study was carried out consisting of in-depth interviews with HIV-positive men and women, focus group discussions, plus semi-structured interviews with nurses and community health workers. Results: HIV-positive men provided food and money for transport for their wives during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Some men encouraged their wives to attend antenatal care visits. However, most men did not accompany their wives to antenatal care, childbirth or postnatal visits due to work obligations and perceived stigmatisation in the community. Also, most men perceived a maternal clinic as a place for women. HIV-positive men supported adherence to antiretroviral therapy for their wives and infants, and they complied with prescriptions regarding antiretroviral therapy for themselves. Nonetheless, they did not often allow their wives to use contraception. Conclusion: Some HIV-positive men supported women to follow some medical advice to prevent transmitting HIV from mother to infant.
Background: In preventing the transfer of HIV to their children, the Ministry of Health in Mozamb... more Background: In preventing the transfer of HIV to their children, the Ministry of Health in Mozambique recommends all couples follow medical advice prior to a pregnancy. However, little is known about how such women experience pregnancy, nor the values they adhere to when making childbearing decisions. This qualitative study explores perceptions and decision-making processes regarding pregnancy among HIV positive women in rural Maputo Province. Methods: In-depth interviews and five focus group discussions with fifty-nine women who had recently become mothers were carried out. In addition, six semi-structured interviews were held with maternity and child health nurses. The ethnographic methods employed here were guided by Bourdieu's practice theory. Results: The study indicated that women often perceived pregnancy as a test of fertility and identity. It was not only viewed as a rite of passage from childhood to womanhood, but also as a duty for married women to have children. Most women did not follow recommended medical advice prior to gestation. This was primarily due to perceptions that decision-making about pregnancy was regarded as a private issue not requiring consultation with a healthcare provider. Additionally, stigmatisation of women living with HIV, lack of knowledge about the need to consult a healthcare provider prior to pregnancy, and unintended pregnancy due to inadequate use of contraceptive were crucial factors. Conclusion: Women's experiences and decisions regarding pregnancy are more influenced by social and cultural norms than medical advice. Therefore, education concerning sexual and reproductive health in relation to HIV/AIDS and childbearing is recommended. In particular, we recommend maternal and child healthcare nurses need to be sensitive to women's perceptions and the cultural context of maternity when providing information about sexual and reproductive health.
Social norms have been considered barriers to compliance of biomedical norms that prevent passing... more Social norms have been considered barriers to compliance of biomedical norms that prevent passing HIV from mother to infants. However, little is known about how women adopt and reconcile the biomedical norms with their local social norms during pregnancy care and infant feeding. This study, therefore, analyses the role of social norms on compliance to biomedical norms during pregnancy and infant feeding among HIV-positive women in rural Maputo province. It applied a qualitative method, consisting in in-depth interview and focus group discussion with HIV-positive women and men; semi-structured interviews with nurses, community health workers, traditional healers and church pastors, and focus group discussion with grandmothers. Data was thematically analysed. Results show that participants used social norms to prevent the perceived harmful to their life or that of the babies, such as “bad spirits”, illnesses and malnutrition. Some biomedical norms are accepted and also guide participants in pregnancy care. Nevertheless, some social norms influenced noncompliance to some biomedical norms such as exclusive breastfeeding. In conclusion, these findings suggest that participants often complied their local social norms as a way to fulfil the expectation of their families and communities. They seem reluctant to comply with all biomedical norms that challenge the local normative behaviour. In this regard, nurses should also involve male partners, mothers-in-law or grandmothers in education about the recommended biomedical norms preventing HIV infection from mother to infant.
Keywords: Biomedical norms, HIV-positive women and social norms
Introduction: Motherhood among women living with HIV/AIDS is considered perilous in most of the c... more Introduction: Motherhood among women living with HIV/AIDS is considered perilous in most of the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Introduction: Male involvement has been considered crucial to prevent passing HIV from mother to ... more Introduction: Male involvement has been considered crucial to prevent passing HIV from mother to infant in sub-Saharan Africa. However, little is known about how HIV-positive Mozambican men and their female partners perceive and involve themselves in pregnancy and breastfeeding. This study analyses HIV-positive men’s role on compliance of medical advice recommended to prevent passing HIV from mother to infant. Material and method: A qualitative study was carried out consisting of in-depth interviews with HIV-positive men and women, focus group discussions, plus semi-structured interviews with nurses and community health workers. Results: HIV-positive men provided food and money for transport for their wives during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Some men encouraged their wives to attend antenatal care visits. However, most men did not accompany their wives to antenatal care, childbirth or postnatal visits due to work obligations and perceived stigmatisation in the community. Also, most men perceived a maternal clinic as a place for women. HIV-positive men supported adherence to antiretroviral therapy for their wives and infants, and they complied with prescriptions regarding antiretroviral therapy for themselves. Nonetheless, they did not often allow their wives to use contraception. Conclusion: Some HIV-positive men supported women to follow some medical advice to prevent transmitting HIV from mother to infant.
Background: In preventing the transfer of HIV to their children, the Ministry of Health in Mozamb... more Background: In preventing the transfer of HIV to their children, the Ministry of Health in Mozambique recommends all couples follow medical advice prior to a pregnancy. However, little is known about how such women experience pregnancy, nor the values they adhere to when making childbearing decisions. This qualitative study explores perceptions and decision-making processes regarding pregnancy among HIV positive women in rural Maputo Province. Methods: In-depth interviews and five focus group discussions with fifty-nine women who had recently become mothers were carried out. In addition, six semi-structured interviews were held with maternity and child health nurses. The ethnographic methods employed here were guided by Bourdieu's practice theory. Results: The study indicated that women often perceived pregnancy as a test of fertility and identity. It was not only viewed as a rite of passage from childhood to womanhood, but also as a duty for married women to have children. Most women did not follow recommended medical advice prior to gestation. This was primarily due to perceptions that decision-making about pregnancy was regarded as a private issue not requiring consultation with a healthcare provider. Additionally, stigmatisation of women living with HIV, lack of knowledge about the need to consult a healthcare provider prior to pregnancy, and unintended pregnancy due to inadequate use of contraceptive were crucial factors. Conclusion: Women's experiences and decisions regarding pregnancy are more influenced by social and cultural norms than medical advice. Therefore, education concerning sexual and reproductive health in relation to HIV/AIDS and childbearing is recommended. In particular, we recommend maternal and child healthcare nurses need to be sensitive to women's perceptions and the cultural context of maternity when providing information about sexual and reproductive health.
Social norms have been considered barriers to compliance of biomedical norms that prevent passing... more Social norms have been considered barriers to compliance of biomedical norms that prevent passing HIV from mother to infants. However, little is known about how women adopt and reconcile the biomedical norms with their local social norms during pregnancy care and infant feeding. This study, therefore, analyses the role of social norms on compliance to biomedical norms during pregnancy and infant feeding among HIV-positive women in rural Maputo province. It applied a qualitative method, consisting in in-depth interview and focus group discussion with HIV-positive women and men; semi-structured interviews with nurses, community health workers, traditional healers and church pastors, and focus group discussion with grandmothers. Data was thematically analysed. Results show that participants used social norms to prevent the perceived harmful to their life or that of the babies, such as “bad spirits”, illnesses and malnutrition. Some biomedical norms are accepted and also guide participants in pregnancy care. Nevertheless, some social norms influenced noncompliance to some biomedical norms such as exclusive breastfeeding. In conclusion, these findings suggest that participants often complied their local social norms as a way to fulfil the expectation of their families and communities. They seem reluctant to comply with all biomedical norms that challenge the local normative behaviour. In this regard, nurses should also involve male partners, mothers-in-law or grandmothers in education about the recommended biomedical norms preventing HIV infection from mother to infant.
Keywords: Biomedical norms, HIV-positive women and social norms
Introduction: Motherhood among women living with HIV/AIDS is considered perilous in most of the c... more Introduction: Motherhood among women living with HIV/AIDS is considered perilous in most of the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Papers by Carlos E D U A R D O Cuinhane
Keywords: breastfeeding, HIV-positive men, HIV-positive women, Mozambique, pregnancy
Keywords: Biomedical norms, HIV-positive women and social norms
Keywords: breastfeeding, HIV-positive men, HIV-positive women, Mozambique, pregnancy
Keywords: Biomedical norms, HIV-positive women and social norms