Explore the Future Childbearing Intentions of HIV Infected Women Receiving Antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Bishoftu health Center, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

The majority of childbearing age women on ART remain sexually active and the change in women’s intentions for future childbearing because of health improvements due to ART. It is clear that with ART, women begin to consider their reproductive lives because now they have hope that they can live longer and see their children grow. However, the majority of new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections that occur in children worldwide occur among children born to HIV positive mothers, who acquire the HIV infection from their mothers. In the Ethiopia, the number of pregnancies in HIV-infected women has increased dramatically over the last decade, but attitudes towards childbearing among infected women have not been previously described. The aim of this survey was to explore fertility intentions among HIV-infected women and to assess the effect of HIV treatment and interventions for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) on these intentions. The objective of our study was to assess the future childbearing intentions of HIV infected women receiving antiretroviral drugs (ART) in Bishoftu Health Center. Methods We conducted a cross sectional study, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative research methods on HIV infected women of reproductive potential receiving ART at the Bishoftu Health center. Data would be collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and analysis would be done using SPSS 16 version. Results: - Out of fifty two respondent in the study period of one month in the Bishoftu health center the age group of the respondent was between twenty one and thirty eighty age groups. Most of the respondent clients from Bishoftu city administration (80.8%) and 19.2% were from other place attend their ART follow up. The marital status of the respondent different and 55.8% were married, 13.5% were divorced, 11.5% were separated, 9.6% were single and 9.6% were widowed. Almost more than half of the respondent were illiterate and 88.5% the client follows Orthodox religious , 7.7% follows Protestant religious and 3.8% follows viii

Muslim religious. Around 44.2% out total respondent during the study period in the Bishoftu health center want to have more children in the future. Most of them need the children due to they were never had a child before, the reset were why they were did not want a child due to financial problem and fear of viral transmission to their child. Conclusion: Factors that influence fertility intention among HIV positive women were the women have never had a child before ,they want a baby girl/boy ,their spouse wants a child and their husbands relatives want a child. Respondents who were health problem, financial problem and have enough children before were unlikely to desire a child in the near future. Being on antiretroviral therapy was associated with desire to have a child in the near future.