Reproductive intentions among HIV-infected men and women accessing a public HIV treatment and care programme in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Reproductive intentions among HIV-infected men and women accessing a public HIV treatment and care programme in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Background: Improved health and wellbeing following ART initiation may encourage favourable attitudes towards childbearing by PLHIV themselves, partners, family and health providers. Furthermore, increases in life-expectancy will extend the period during which partnering and childbearing may occur. In sub-Saharan Africa treatment programmes, support and counselling around fertility for PLHIV varies. We report baseline results from a prospective study of the impact of ART on partnering, fertility intentions and behavior in HIV-infected individuals accessing a public treatment programme in 3 rural clinics in South Africa.
Methods: Enrollment started January 2009. Data were collected about partnerships, sexual activity, fertility intentions, and pregnancies. Logistic regression was used to explore factors associated with discussing childbearing with their partner at baseline.
Results: Data are available on fertility intentions for 453/607 participants in a partnership at baseline (29% male). Median parity was 2 for women, IQR(1,4), and 3 for men IQR(1,5). Median CD4 was 181 IQR(51,571). Median length of relationship was 5 years IQR(2,11). 30% of women and 43% of men reported they wanted to have more children with their current partner. However, no women and only 7% of men intended to conceive in the next 12 months. Among 36% who discussed childbearing, partners' expectations motivated 49% of women, and 20% in both sexes thought ART enabled them to have an uninfected baby. Among those who did not discuss childbearing, 51% of both sexes had reached their desired family size. In logistic regression, older age of participant and the number of children with current partner were significantly associated with decreasing odds of discussing childbearing. A significant linear trend was found with odds of discussion decreasing with each additional child, 0.69, 95% CI (0.57, 0.83).
Conclusion: Results show that there is a desire, albeit postponed, for more children among PLHIV, especially in the context of effective PMTCT.
McGrath, N.
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Richter, L.
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Newell, M.L.
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19 July 2011
McGrath, N.
b75c0232-24ec-443f-93a9-69e9e12dc961
Richter, L.
1b3d8141-a6e5-46a5-a0ed-3af79028483b
Newell, M.L.
c6ff99dd-c23b-4fef-a846-a221fe2522b3
McGrath, N., Richter, L. and Newell, M.L.
(2011)
Reproductive intentions among HIV-infected men and women accessing a public HIV treatment and care programme in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, Rome, Italy.
17 - 20 Jul 2011.
Record type:
Conference or Workshop Item
(Poster)
Abstract
Background: Improved health and wellbeing following ART initiation may encourage favourable attitudes towards childbearing by PLHIV themselves, partners, family and health providers. Furthermore, increases in life-expectancy will extend the period during which partnering and childbearing may occur. In sub-Saharan Africa treatment programmes, support and counselling around fertility for PLHIV varies. We report baseline results from a prospective study of the impact of ART on partnering, fertility intentions and behavior in HIV-infected individuals accessing a public treatment programme in 3 rural clinics in South Africa.
Methods: Enrollment started January 2009. Data were collected about partnerships, sexual activity, fertility intentions, and pregnancies. Logistic regression was used to explore factors associated with discussing childbearing with their partner at baseline.
Results: Data are available on fertility intentions for 453/607 participants in a partnership at baseline (29% male). Median parity was 2 for women, IQR(1,4), and 3 for men IQR(1,5). Median CD4 was 181 IQR(51,571). Median length of relationship was 5 years IQR(2,11). 30% of women and 43% of men reported they wanted to have more children with their current partner. However, no women and only 7% of men intended to conceive in the next 12 months. Among 36% who discussed childbearing, partners' expectations motivated 49% of women, and 20% in both sexes thought ART enabled them to have an uninfected baby. Among those who did not discuss childbearing, 51% of both sexes had reached their desired family size. In logistic regression, older age of participant and the number of children with current partner were significantly associated with decreasing odds of discussing childbearing. A significant linear trend was found with odds of discussion decreasing with each additional child, 0.69, 95% CI (0.57, 0.83).
Conclusion: Results show that there is a desire, albeit postponed, for more children among PLHIV, especially in the context of effective PMTCT.
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Published date: 19 July 2011
Venue - Dates:
6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, Rome, Italy, 2011-07-17 - 2011-07-20
Organisations:
Primary Care & Population Sciences, Faculty of Social, Human and Mathematical Sciences
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 350690
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/350690
PURE UUID: cd85a607-fd15-4115-8323-1716876b94ce
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Date deposited: 28 Mar 2013 12:34
Last modified: 23 Jul 2022 02:07
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Contributors
Author:
L. Richter
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