Fertility Preferences of Women Living with HIV in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana.

This study sought to determine fertility preferences and their predictors among women living with HIV. A survey of 295 women aged 18 to 49 years living with HIV, and attending two HIV/AIDS clinics in the Kumasi metropolis, was conducted between July and August 2012. We administered questionnaires, and retrieved records of clinical status for review. We conducted multiple logistic regressions with fertility preference as the dependent variable. Fifty-eight percent of the respondents desired to have a child. The desire to have children was associated with age ≥ 40 years (AOR 0.25; 95% CI: 0.06-1.00), parity > 3 (AOR 0.07; 95% CL: 0.01-0.78), those that responded that their HIV status did not affect fertility preference were more likely to desire a child (AOR 4.37; 95% CI: 1.28-14.95) and those whose partner's did not desire to have children were less likely to desire to have children (AOR 0.06; 95% CI: 0.02-0.18). Most of the respondents do not discuss their fertility preferences with healthcare providers. Policy makers should protect the health of women living with HIV by putting in place counselling and support services with regular antiretroviral medications. If implemented, this has the potential to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Contraceptive Characteristics of Women Living with HIV in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana.

OBJECTIVES: Contraceptive use among women living with HIV is important to prevent the transmission of the infection to their partners, prevent unintended pregnancies and prevent the mother-to-child transmission of the infection. The study sought to determine the contraceptive characteristics of women living with HIV in the Kumasi metropolis. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from July to August 2012 at two HIV/AIDS clinics in the Kumasi Metropolis in the Ashanti Region, Ghana. Interviewer- administered questionnaires were used to collect data from two hundred and ninety five women. Data from one hundred and eighty three women living with HIV and who were sexually active were analyzed. Factors associated with contraceptive use were examined using logistic regression. RESULTS: The overall contraceptive use was high; 84.7% were using a modern contraceptive method. The male condom was the commonest contraceptive method (77.0%) used and this was the main contraceptive method promoted at the HIV/AIDS clinic. Dual method usage was low (4.4%). Multivariate analysis showed that the significant predictor of contraceptive use was HIV status disclosure to partner (AOR = 0.25; 95% CI = 0.07-0.87; p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS: The integration of family planning and HIV/AIDS services could stress dual method use and encourage HIV status disclosure to partner.