Perceptions and experiences of Cebuano male birth attendants

• Main Author: Limalima, Ma. Theresa Yap
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2001
• Subjects: Perception; Experience; Childbirth; Delivery (Obstetrics); Cebuano (Philippine people; Men; Males; Arts and Humanities
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/2620
• Institution: De La Salle University

This exploratory study examines the perceptions and experiences of Cebuano male birth attendants in birth attending. The study conducted in-depth interviews of 5 male birth attendants from 4 central barangays, and 10 male birth attendants from 6 peripheral barangays in Cebu City. Data revealed that the male birth attendants are likely to be older, married and have some form of primary or intermediate education. Majority were formally trained under the Cebu City Health Department's Hilot Training Programs. Most had been in the practice of birth attending for an average of 30 years, attending to an average of 2.2 births a month. Their involvement in birth attending can be attributed mostly to chance or accidental circumstances. It meant being forced to attend to a delivery when a midwife was not immediately available. For some, involvement was influenced by a family member who was also a birth attendant. Exposure to the occupation meant observation, tagging along, and accompanying the attendant summoned to a delivery.These male birth attendants take their roles as birth attendants seriously. They get to be involved in a occupation traditionally associated with the female gender because they simply cannot refuse requests of women for delivery assistance. The desire to be able to extend help to their fellowmen has also motivated them to pursue this kind of calling. On the other hand, despite the minimal financial rewards brought by birth attending, Cebuano male birth attendants view birth attending as something that is already part of their lives. Informal trainings for the respondents involved exposure and subsequent training under the tutelage of a family member who was also a birth attendant. Formal trainings refer to the participation in the Cebu City Health Department's Hilot Training Program, and ensuing seminars and/or regular meetings at the barangay level. All these have been substantial in improving the trained respondents' knowledge and skills in birth attending. As a whole, Cebuano male birth attendants perceive the tasks performed during the whole cycle of birth attending as similar with the practices employed by female birth attendants. For those who cited some differences, it would pertain to differences in physical strength in gender, and the fact that male (traditional) birth attendants neither look at genitals, nor perform internal examination. Moreover, the respondents' perceptions on men's involvement in birth attending indicated less adherence to traditional views on gender. Hence, female gender should not be intrinsic to midwifery. The findings also indicate that Cebuano male birth attendants do not consider their gender as hindrance to their work as birth attendants. Furthermore, they have never experienced major cases of being discriminated for entering a profession traditionally associated with women, although there were a few reported isolated incidents where others tried to destroy their reputation by spreading rumors about them. They simply took it by themselves to settle these minor issues.