Table 3.

Results of data analysis

Codes	Sub-category	Category
• Negative attitudes toward the issue of male participation • Men’s fear of social stigma • The community believe of the responsibility of the woman	The undesirable dominant socio-cultural climate of the society	Cultural barriers
• Unwillingness to allow husband’s presence in maternity ward and prenatal clinic • The traditional women’s reliance on their family	Lack of request from women
• The insignificant contribution of families in learning to participate in boys • The lack of education of men and boys in our society	Educational poverty in the society
• Unawareness of men about the importance of their collaborative role in the perinatal period • Men’s insufficient experience about participation in pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care • The lack of men’s preparation at early age for fatherhood	Poverty of consciousness and men’s inadequate experiences	Personal and Interpersonal barriers
• Changing the sexual function of couples during pregnancy • The lack of proper interaction between couples	Couple’s communicational problems
• Lack of appropriate physical space in health centers for men • Inappropriate time to provide prenatal care for the possibility of male participation • Restriction and even the ban on men for entering the prenatal clinic	The structural problems in the health centers	Health system-related barriers
• The negative attitude of the health providers towards the presence of men alongside the wives in health centers • The lack of male reproductive health professionals for the education of boys and men • The embarrassment of female medical staff to confront men in women’s care settings	Problems related to the human resources
• Applying the opinion and personal preferences of the senior managers of health centers to avoid the presence of men in these centers • The lack of attention of policymakers to the issue of men’s participation in perinatal care in large-scale planning and policy as a community’s need despite its acceptance • The lack of a specific program in the health ministry’s plans for male participation in perinatal care	Policymaking and managerial problems
• Lack of time for men due to long working hours • Failure to grant and perform paternal leave	Men’s occupational problems	Socio-economic barriers
• High costs of pregnancy care and childbirth • The lack of financial support for families during pregnancy by the government • Low economic level of the family	Financial problems