ABSTRACT
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a promising sexual health intervention offering young women in sub-Saharan Africa a way to control their risk of contracting HIV. However, many young women believe men have negative attitudes towards PrEP, hindering its uptake. While women’s perspectives on PrEP have been widely studied, little has been done to explore what young men who have sex with women (YMSW) think about female PrEP use. Through 11 in-depth interviews and one focus group discussion with young men (18–29 years) in eastern Zimbabwe, the study reveals that men’s attitudes towards female PrEP use depend on how it aligns with traditional gender expectations and male gender norms. The research finds that young men support PrEP use among women in casual relationships due to the perceived benefits of reducing their chances of acquiring HIV. However, when the young men reflected on PrEP use amongst young women with whom they were either married or in a committed relationship, they generally expressed negative attitudes. They considered female PrEP use to be in direct conflict with men’s patriarchal control of women. Female PrEP use was generally deemed acceptable only if the man had encouraged or approved it.
