Perception of Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinics on Care Rendered by Male Student Midwives in Plateau State, North-Central Nigeria

Background: Midwifery is one of the oldest professions worldwide since the inception of human life. It was recognized as a female profession the term ‘midwife’ connotes a woman who assists with childbirth. This definition essentially means that midwifery has since time immemorial been perceived as a profession for women. This is however changing as several men are entering the profession. 

Objectives: To obtain reliable information on the perception of pregnant women attending antenatal clinics on care rendered by male student midwives in Plateau State.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire and focused interviews in two health centers of Plateau State. 1:5 systematic random sampling was used to select 403 respondents, 60 husbands of antenatal women were purposefully selected and interviewed, 30 from each hospital. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0 while thematic analysis was done on the qualitative data.

Result: Significant findings were noted amongst antenatal women who had higher educational levels (68%), and higher income (69.8%), those not sure of their cultural values 83%, and women who said care should be confined to antenatal clinics 75%. The results show statistically significant (P-value =<0.001) regarding care rendered by male midwives during antenatal, amongst those who said let the practice continue but be confined to antenatal. 

Conclusion: The study revealed that the respondents agreed to be cared for by male midwives because they are trained and offer the same care as their female counterparts and they are caring and gentle. The study recommends community sensitization regarding the importance of male midwifery practice. 

Keywords: Perception, Antenatal Care, Male student Midwife, Plateau State.