PURPOSE:
Background: Male involvement in maternal health care has proven to be beneficial for improving maternal and child health and is often crucial in areas of family planning and contraceptive use. However, compared to male involvement in maternal health care, male involvement in contraceptive counselling is complex and controversial and thus faces certain challenges.Immigrant men in Sweden are often accompanying their partner for contraceptive counselling.Little is known about their presence and role. The aim of this study was to explore how immigrant men from the Middle East and Afghanistan perceive and experience accompanying their partner for contraceptive counselling provided by midwives inSweden. Inductive qualitative content analysis guided the interpretation of data based on 21 individual in-depth interviews.

DISCUSSION:
Findings: Balancing conflicting values and norms about sexual and reproductive health and rightsincluding family planning was challenging and confusing when living in Sweden. Contraceptive counselling was perceived as a joint visit, and men were often acting as decision makers.The midwife’s role as a contraceptive counsellor was perceived as trusted, but knowledge was lacking about the Swedish midwifery model and the Swedish healthcare system. Providers’ ways of communicating sensitive information were crucial. Without marriage contraceptive counselling was unthinkable.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
Conclusion: Highlighting male engagement and including men’s sexual and reproductive health at policy levels are necessary for improving women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights.Additional and new ways of contraceptive counselling and midwifery services, such as outreach work and joint visits, are needed in order to reach both men and women.

KEY MESSAGE:
Immigrant men expressed a need and desire for more SRHR knowledge including contraceptives, appreciating midwives’ role once understood and wanting to have access to midwife as well, highlighting the importance of engaging men without compromising women’s autonomy and addressing structural gaps through policy-level inclusion. SRHR - General