Publication: Sexuality and affectivity after a grieving process for an antenatal death: a qualitative study of fathers' experiences
Authors
Camacho Ávila, Marcos ; Hernández Sánchez, Encarnación ; Fernández Férez, Alba ; Fernández Medina, Isabel María ; Fernández Sola, Cayetano ; Conesa Ferrer, María Belén ; Ventura Miranda, María Isabel
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Publisher
SAGE Publications
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DOI
https://doi.org/10.22514/jomh.2023.010
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info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Description
© 2023 The Author(s). This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This document is the Published version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in American Journal of Men's Health. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.22514/jomh.2023.010
Abstract
The loss of an infant at the prenatal stage is one of the most traumatic events parents
can experience. Prenatal losses have several negative implications for parents’ physical,
psychological, and social well-being, including intimacy and sexuality. Fathers who
suffer from this experience have to cope not only with their grief, but also with the
physical and emotional suffering of their partners. The social context gives the father a
masculine role of strength, insensitivity, and protection of the mother, with the result that
his pain and grief become invisible. The objective of this study is to understand fathers’
experience of affective-sexual relationships after a grieving process for an antenatal
death; A qualitative study based on interviews with 11 fathers in Spain who have
experienced an antenatal death was conducted. Data were analyzed with the help of
ATLAS.ti software to discover emerging themes. 6 sub-themes were developed from
the analysis, grouped into two main themes: the invisibility of grieving fathers and the
relationships between the grieving parents are influenced by the death of their infants.
The sexuality of fathers who suffer an antenatal death is altered. Gender stereotypes and
the lack of social and professional awareness make their grief invisible. Fathers need to
express their emotions to cope with their own grief and break the stereotypical gendered
bereavement. In most cases, the couple’s relationship is altered, from a close union to a
more distant relationship, in addition to a decrease in sexual desire and arousal. However,
other fathers experienced greater closeness and intimacy in the couple. A communication
based on sincerity, exposing their own grief, feelings, emotions and needs could help the
couple’s relationship.
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Citation
Journal of Men's Health, 2023, Vol.19, N. 2, pp.36-44
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Este ítem está sujeto a una licencia Creative Commons. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/