Abstract
OBJECTIVES: to understand nurses' representations about partner participation in prenatal care. METHODS: an exploratory, descriptive, qualitative study, carried out in four Basic Health Units, located in two municipalities in the Brazilian Amazon region. Open-ended interviews were conducted with 11 nurses who had been working in prenatal care for at least six months, between January and July 2023. Professionals who were on sick leave or vacation were excluded. Data organization was carried out through content analysis, and theoretical analysis was based on the gender category. RESULTS: perceptions of partner participation were observed based on representations of hegemonic masculinity, but indicators of a paradigm shift regarding paternity were also observed. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: professionals reinforce traditional gender roles, treating care as something inherent to women. It was also observed that the category overload leads to the perpetuation of biomedical models of care.