Abstract

MACLEOD, Catriona; MATEBESE, Sibongile  and  TSETSE, Nontozamo. "I drank because I wanted to deal with the frustration": explaining alcohol consumption during pregnancy in a low-resource setting - women's, partners and family members' narratives. Social work (Stellenbosch. Online) [online]. 2020, vol.56, n.1, pp.88-96. ISSN 2312-7198.  https://doi.org/10.15270/52-2-792.

Understanding the explanatory narratives that women, partners and family members provide for consuming alcohol during pregnancy is essential in interventions. This paper reports on the stories of 25 participants in a low-resource area. Explanations included lack of partner support (not providing financially, being unfaithful, denying paternity), stress (HIV diagnosis, unwanted pregnancy, poverty), trauma (rape, death and crime), and a drinking culture (unregulated taverns, availability of liquor, peer pressure). Interventions should work with the gender norms; provide services or referrals for trauma; provide non-judgmental counselling; and target drinking in general in the community so as to reduce drinking culture.

Keywords : pregnancy; alcohol; narratives; support; interventions; South Africa.

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