Table 1.

Emergent Themes and Findings

Themes	Findings
1) Young men’s desire for fatherhood and marriage	Fatherhood was instrumental for young men’s transition to adulthood Men aspired to achieve fatherhood within the context of formal marriages Men sought to financially prepare themselves for marriage and fatherhood
2) Economic insecurity	Men often experienced truncated schooling and limited economic opportunities, which led to significant economic instability Economic instability limited the types of relationship men could establish with potential partners Financial constraints influenced men’s decisions around desired family size
3) Risky alternative strategies to marriage and fatherhood	Limited marital opportunities for men led to increased short-term casual partnerships Men’s persistent desire for children sometimes resulted in risky sexual behaviours such as condom non-use