Unmet Need for Family Planning Among Women in HIV/AIDS Care at Antiretroviral Treatment Clinic in South Ethiopia: A Challenge to Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission

Mekdes Daba Feyssa

doi:10.4172/2155-6113.1000469

Abstract

Background: Pregnancies in HIV positive women may or may not be desired. Family planning methods can be provided as an option to avoid undesired pregnancies. However, the prevalence of unmet need for family planning methods and its determinants among reproductive age women in HIV/AIDS care is not well known. This research assessed the prevalence and determinants of unmet need among HIV positive reproductive age women in HIV/AIDS care at Hawassa referral hospital, Southern Ethiopia. Methods: A quantitative cross sectional study was done on HIV positive reproductive age women in HIV/AIDS care antiretroviral treatment (ART) clinic Hawassa referral hospital. Married or cohabiting with partner women, who were sexually active one year prior to survey, were included. A total of 658 women were studied. Data were entered and cleaned using computer software. Logistic regression analysis was done to select determinants of unmet need for family planning. Results: The prevalence of unmet need for family planning was 19.1%, of whom 5.9% had unmet need for limiting and 13.2% for spacing. Women who were aged between 15-24 years [AOR, 2.86, 95%CI 1.09-7.48] and 25-34 years [AOR, 2.56, 95%CI, 1.18-5.57], illiterate [AOR, 2.76, 95%CI, 1.48-5.15] and completed primary education [AOR, 1.89, 95%CI, 1.05-3.40], had high unmet need for family planning. Women who desired children [AOR, 1.67, 95%CI, 1.01- 2.76], did not use family planning previously [AOR, 2.75, 95%CI, 1.07-7.06], did not receive family planning on day of interview at HIV/AIDS care [AOR, 6.82, 95%CI 2.73-17.06] and were not on ART [AOR, 1.71, 95%CI 1.06-2.74] had high unmet need. Conclusions: The prevalence of unmet need for family planning among women in HIV/AIDS care at Hawassa is high. Integration of family planning services at ART clinic and increased attention to women who are less educated, young adults, naive to family planning and not on ART is recommended.

Highlights

Pregnancies in HIV positive women may or may not be desired
In 2010, it was estimated that nearly 80,000 children under the age of 15 years were living with HIV, of which more than 90% of the infections were due to vertical transmission from mother to child
Unmet need for family planning among HIV positive women is one of the important factors which contributes to unwanted pregnancy and vertical transmission of the virus to a child [11]

Summary

Introduction

Pregnancies in HIV positive women may or may not be desired. Family planning methods can be provided as an option to avoid undesired pregnancies. The prevalence of unmet need for family planning methods and its determinants among reproductive age women in HIV/AIDS care is not well known. This research assessed the prevalence and determinants of unmet need among HIV positive reproductive age women in HIV/AIDS care at Hawassa referral hospital, Southern Ethiopia. Ethiopia is one of the countries most affected by HIV/AIDS pandemic. There were about 1.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS with an adult prevalence rate of 2.4% in 2010, where females were more affected than males (2.9% and 1.9% respectively) [3]. In 2010, it was estimated that nearly 80,000 children under the age of 15 years were living with HIV, of which more than 90% of the infections were due to vertical transmission from mother to child. WHO promotes prevention of unintended pregnancy among women living with HIV as one of its key strategies in preventing HIV transmission to infants and children [4]

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