Focus Group Interview - USVI Males

OMB Control No: 0920-XXXX

Exp. Date XX/XX/XXXX

USVI Focus Group Instrument for Male Participants

Screening criteria for participation:

• Male of reproductive age (18 – 44 years)

• Sexual activity with a woman in the last three months

• Resident of USVI

INTRODUCTION

We are interested in your opinions about different types of birth control methods women can use to avoid getting pregnant. Birth control is sometimes called contraception. We are talking to men because we believe that men play an important role in how couples decide which method of birth control may be best for them. We value your thoughts and opinions. This information will be used to develop ads to increase knowledge about contraceptive use for women who want to delay or avoid pregnancy while the Zika virus is affecting people on the island.

Please know that your answers are completely confidential. That means we will not identify you or link your answers to you. We will not let anyone outside of this project know of your participation. You can choose not to answer any question. Also, there are no right or wrong answers. We are only interested in your opinion. If you don’t understand the question, feel free to let me know and I can ask it another way. This is not a test, so feel free to say you don’t know or don’t have an opinion to offer. The questions should take about 2 hours. Thank you for participating.

PREGNANCY

• In what ways do couples in your community talk about planning a family (reproductive life planning)?

Probes:

• How are men involved in the conversation about planning a family?

• Do women talk about family planning differently from men?

• Do couples generally discuss plans to have kids/delay having kids?

• Who is involved in conversations about planning a family?

  • Partner/spouse? Family members? Friends?

• Do you think people are looking to delay/prevent pregnancy in the context of Zika?

  • Why/Why not?

  • Do you think people in your community are worried about Zika?

  • Do you think people in your community know about Zika?

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  Public reporting burden of this collection of information is estimated to average 120 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to CDC/ATSDR Information Collection Review Office, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS D-74, Atlanta, Georgia 30333; ATTN: PRA (xxx-xxxx).

  
  
  

  If a woman in the US Virgin Islands wants to delay/prevent pregnancy, what can she do?

  • What types of resources are available (clinics/facilities, providers)?

BIRTH CONTROL

• Can you tell me about the types of birth control methods you are familiar with?

• How do you feel about your partner using birth control?

Probes:

• What concerns would you have if your partner was using birth control?

• In your opinion, how easy is it for a woman to prevent pregnancy if she wants to?

• In your opinion, how easy is it for a woman to birth control if she wants to?

Probes:

• What are some of the things that you think would make it easier for women in your community to get information about or get birth control if they wanted to prevent a pregnancy?

• What are some things that might make it hard for women in your community to get birth control if they wanted to prevent pregnancy?

Probes:

• Does religion play a role?

• Do fears of side effects play a role?

• Are there cultural/community norms or expectations of abstinence among young women or those who are not married?

• Limited access to health care (few clinics/health care providers; distance from clinic/ transportation to clinic)?

• Limited access to contraception (few/no clinics offering contraceptive counseling/services; limited availability of contraceptive options; few contraceptive products available on the island/in the clinic)?

INFORMATION-SEEKING/MESSAGE DISSEMINATION

• On a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 indicates that you strongly disagree, and 5 indicates that you strongly agree, please tell me the number which indicates how much you agree or disagree with each statement.

  • My partner and I have considered doing something about preventing or delaying pregnancy

  • My partner and I have considered trying to get some type of birth control method.

  • My partner and I intend to try to get some type of birth control method.

• Is there anything that could motivate you to encourage your partner to consider using birth control if you were interested in delaying or avoiding pregnancy?

• Have you ever looked for information about birth control with your partner?

Probes:

• If yes, why? If no, why not?

• If yes –

  • Where have you looked for information?

  • Probes: health center, personal doctor, family, friends, the internet (probe for specific websites), social media, religious leader, etc.

• If no –

  • From what sources might you and/or your partner seek information about birth control?

• Who do you think would be a good person to inform you and your partner about birth control options to delay or avoid a pregnancy?

Probes:

• a physician, celebrity, religious or spiritual leader, someone like you.

• What type of information would you think your partner would like to receive about birth control (e.g. different types of birth control methods, where to get them, etc.)?

• What would be the best way for us to provide this information?

Probes:

• Videos? If so, where should videos be available? Online? Clinic waiting rooms? Local businesses? Community organizations?

• Radio? What stations would be most appropriate?

• Community/public meetings? What types of meetings?

• Online/Internet? Where do women go online? Social media? Other sites?

• Educational pamphlets? How should these be distributed?

LONG-ACTING REVERSIBLE CONTRACEPTIVES (LARCS)

• Now I’m going to ask you about some birth control options that can be effective for a long time, but women can choose to stop using them whenever they want. They are called long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) and they include IUDs and implants.

  • An implant is a small rod, the size of a match-stick, that’s inserted under your skin to prevent pregnancy. An implant is very effective for preventing pregnancy. It releases hormones consistently while it’s implanted in your arm so that you don’t get pregnant. An implant can stay in your arm and continue working for as long as 3 years. They are very effective for preventing pregnancy but a doctor can remove it at any time if you decide that you want to become pregnant.

    • Have you heard of an implant before today?

    • What have you heard about this birth control method?

    • How did you hear about this birth control method?

    • Would you be interested in getting more information about this method?

    • Would you consider talking to your health care provider about this method?

    • What might concern you about this method?

  • An intrauterine device or IUD is a small plastic T-shaped device that a doctor places in your uterus. There are different types of IUD. Some IUDs can prevent pregnancy for 3 years while others are effective in preventing pregnancy for up to 10 years. Some IUDs contain no hormones while others have a very low dose of hormone. IUDs can be taken out at any time. They are very effective for preventing pregnancy, but a doctor can remove an IUD at any time if you decide that you want to become pregnant.

• Have you heard of an IUD before today?

• What have you heard about this birth control method?

• How did you hear about this birth control method?

• Would you be interested in getting more information about this method?

• Would you consider talking to your health care provider about this method?

• What might concern you about this method?

ZIKA

• Have you heard about the Zika virus?

Probes:

• What have you heard?

• Where are you all getting information about Zika?

• Are you concerned about it?

• What if anything are you doing to protect yourself from it?

MODERATOR: For the benefit of those who haven’t: Zika is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito but can also be spread through sexual activity. The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito. People usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika. For this reason, many people might not realize they have been infected. However, Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause a serious birth defect called microcephaly as well as other severe fetal brain defects.

• Do you know anyone who has been affected by Zika?

Probes:

• Do you know anyone who has had a pregnancy affected by Zika?

• Has Zika virus impacted your thinking about pregnancy or pregnancy planning?

  • If some people have not heard of Zika, reframe question as –

  • Would Zika virus impact your thinking about pregnancy or pregnancy planning?

CLOSING

That was our last question. Thank you for participating in this focus group. The information you provided will be extremely helpful to families in USVI during this Zika outbreak. We appreciate your time and insights.