‘Every pregnant woman needs a midwife’—The experiences of HIV affected women in maternity care

Abstract

Title‘Every pregnant woman needs a midwife’—the experiences of HIV affected women in Northern Ireland. Objectiveto explore HIV positive women's experiences of pregnancy and maternity care, with a focus on their interactions with midwives. Designa prospective qualitative study. Settingregional HIV unit in Northern Ireland. Participants22 interviews were conducted with 10 women at different stages of their reproductive trajectories. Findingsthe pervasive presence of HIV related stigma threatened the women's experience of pregnancy and care. The key staff attributes that facilitated a positive experience were knowledge and experience, empathy and understanding of their unique needs and continuity of care. Key conclusionspregnancy in the context of HIV, whilst offering a much needed sense of normality, also increases woman's sense of anxiety and vulnerability and therefore the need for supportive interventions that affirm normality is intensified. A maternity team approach, with a focus on providing ‘balanced care’ could meet all of the woman and child's medical needs, whilst also emphasising the normalcy of pregnancy.