The study focuses on how teenage fatherhood affects the life histories of young low-income males. Field work included individual interviews of young fathers living in a shantytown in Rio de Janeiro city. The argument is that an approach from the male standpoint affords access to other levels in a web of meanings and relations that refer back to the logic of contraception, the formation of couples, and active fatherhood. The argument also highlights the links between type of relationship and partnership, use and non-use of contraceptive methods, and the meanings of fatherhood for young low-income males. It highlights that entering actively into fatherhood helps boys consolidate their image as "mature", "responsible", "adult" men.
Pregnancy in Adolescence; Contraception; Paternity; Low-Income Population