Knowledge, attitudes and practices of contraception by HIV positive women followed in a Cameroon region with high illiteracy rate: a cross sectional study

Reproductive Plans And Utilization of Contraceptives Among Women Living With HIV

BACKGROUND

Despite public health policies aimed at providing universal access to reproductive health care services, the reproductive health needs of women living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (WLHIV) are not adequately met. This study assesses the reproductive plans and utilization of contraceptives among WLHIV.

METHODS

This was a cross sectional descriptive study, which adopted a mixed method approach. A total of 400 respondents were recruited from two tertiary health institutions in Nigeria using systematic sampling technique. A validated structured self-administered questionnaire developed by the researcher was used to collect quantitative data for the study. The questionnaire consists of close ended questions related to study objectives. Quantitative data collected were coded and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) windows version 22 and statistical significance was set at p <0.05. The qualitative aspect of the study utilized focus group discussion for data collection.

RESULTS

The mean and standard deviation (SD) age of enrolled respondents was 37.42±7.51 years, and about 59.0 percent were currently married. The prevalence of reproductive desire among WLHIV was comparatively high at 56.5 percent. Furthermore, about 57 percent of the WLHIV had good knowledge of available contraceptives. The current utilization of contraceptive was 47.3 percent. The results revealed significant association between knowledge level of contraceptive options and utilization of contraceptives (X2 = 7.21, df = 1, p =.007), and level of education and utilization of contraceptives (X2 = 21.02, df = 3, p =.001) among women living with HIV. Also, a significant association was found between the respondents' desires to have babies and their knowledge level of contraceptive options that prevent and reduce the risk of vertical transmission of HIV infection (X2= 13.717; P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS AND GLOBAL HEALTH IMPLICATION

Quality reproductive health service bridges the gaps in the continuum of reproductive health and addresses the risk associated with pregnancy in WLHIV. Integration of reproductive health care in the management of HIV may improve the health of childbearing women living with HIV.

Knowledge and utilization of family planning methods among people living with HIV in Kathmandu, Nepal

Background

Addressing family planning (FP) needs of people living with HIV is an effective response to HIV prevention. Healthy timing and spacing of births help ensure the health and well-being of all women and infants, regardless of their HIV-infection. In addition, preventing unintended pregnancies is an important strategy for prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV. The main purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge of family planning methods and identify factors affecting the utilization of such methods among HIV infected men and women attending two Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) sites of Kathmandu, Nepal.

Methods

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Two ART sites of Kathmandu were purposively chosen and a sample of 265 respondents (both men and women) was selected based on proportionate probability random sampling. A structured questionnaire was administered face to face to all of the eligible participants.

Results

The mean ± SD age of the participants was 36.62 ± 7.58 years. Sixty five percent of the respondents’ spouses were HIV positive. A majority of the respondents (72%) had heard of seven modern family planning methods. Considerably high number (72%) of the respondents or their spouses were using at least one of the method of family planning. The most common method was condom (83%) and the least common was IUCD (0.50%). The use of short acting (pills, depo-provera) and long acting (implant, IUCD) family planning methods other than condom dropped from 56.6 to 2% after diagnosis. Utilization of family planning methods was significantly associated with gender, education and HIV status of spouse. Males (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.48, 95% CI = 1.20–5.07, p = 0.01) educated respondents (AOR = 3.27, 95% CI = 1.41–7.54, p = < 0.01) and individuals whose spouse were not infected with HIV (AOR = 4.70, 95% CI = 1.41–15.67, p = 0.01) were more likely to use FP methods.

Conclusion

The tendency for HIV infected men and women to avoid additional child bearing in Nepal is higher compared to sub-Saharan Africa. However, the use of effective methods of family planning is low. Therefore, more effective counselling sessions by service providers regarding the availability and use of alternative family planning methods besides condom is necessary.