Abstract
BackgroundA key strategy for minimizing HIV infection rates especially via reduction of Mother– to-Child transmission is by reducing the unmet need for family planning. In Ghana, the integration of family planning services into Antiretroviral Therapy services for persons living with HIV/AIDS has largely been ignored. We set out to measure the prevalence of modern methods of contraception, the unmet need for family planning and to identify factors associated with the use of modern methods of contraception among HIV positive women on anti retroviral therapy.MethodsThis was a descriptive cross sectional study of HIV positive women in their reproductive ages accessing care at an adult Antiretroviral Therapy Clinic in Kumasi, Ghana. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using Epi Info version 7.1.2.0.ResultsA total of 230 women were included in the study. Fifty six percent were in the 30–39 year age group. The mean age (SD) was 36.3 (5.4) years. While 53.5% of respondents desired to have children, partner desire for children was reported by 54.6% of respondents with partners. About 74% had received information on contraception from their provider. 42.6% of participants and/or their partners were using a contraception method at the time of study; the male condom (79.6%) being the most commonly used method. The estimated unmet need for contraception was 27.8%. Contraceptive use was strongly associated with partner knowledge of HIV status (AOR = 3.64; 95% CI 1.36–9.72; p = 0.01) and use of a contraceptive method prior to diagnosis of HIV (AOR = 6.1; 2.65–14.23; p < 0.001).ConclusionContraceptive Prevalence is high among HIV positive women in Kumasi compared with the general Ghanaian population. Despite this, there still is a high unmet need for family planning in this population. We recommend continuous education on contraceptives use to HIV patients accessing HAART services to further increase contraceptive uptake.
Highlights
A key strategy for minimizing Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection rates especially via reduction of Mother– to-Child transmission is by reducing the unmet need for family planning
Ghana’s HIV prevalence, fertility and population growth rates are relatively low compared to other sub-Saharan African nations, the rather low contraceptive prevalence rate of 25% despite an almost universal knowledge on at least one method of contraception [7,8] presents a challenge to improving the reproductive health outcomes of persons living with HIV (PLHIV)
Despite being HIV positive, we found more than half of respondents with the desire to have children, which is much higher than the 28.6% recorded in Uganda [18] and 31% recorded in South Africa [28]
Summary
A key strategy for minimizing HIV infection rates especially via reduction of Mother– to-Child transmission is by reducing the unmet need for family planning. In Ghana, the integration of family planning services into Antiretroviral Therapy services for persons living with HIV/AIDS has largely been ignored. We set out to measure the prevalence of modern methods of contraception, the unmet need for family planning and to identify factors associated with the use of modern methods of contraception among HIV positive women on anti retroviral therapy. The advent of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) has resulted in significant improvements in the health of persons living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) [1]. In Ghana, an estimated 59,000 out of the 270,000 persons living with the virus are on antiretroviral therapy (ART) [4,5]. Contraceptive use among HIV positive persons plays a crucial role in meeting their reproductive health needs- especially among discordant couples. Ghana has a high unmet need for family planning (currently estimated at 35%) among married women [7] and a similar picture may be present among HIV positive women in Ghana
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