Fertility Intention and Family Planning Use among People Living with HIV/AIDS in Follow up Care Western Shoa Zone

Abstract

Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV) positive individuals may or may not have intention to have children. They could also have different degrees of utilization and demand for family planning. The desire of HIV infected persons to have children in the future has significant implication for the transmission of HIV to sexual partners or newborns. The study was designed to determine the fertility desire and contraceptive utilization among People Living with HIV in antiretroviral treatment (ART) follow up care in West Shoa Zone. An institution based cross sectional study design supplemented with qualitative in-depth interview was carried out between December 2011 and May 2012. The result showed that 78 (50.3%) male and 112 (36.5%) female respondents had expressed the desire for children, making a total of 190 (41.13%) of all the respondents. One hundred ninety-nine (43.1%) of the respondents were on family planning during the study period. Majority of the respondents 150(71.8%) were using condom. Respondents who showed desire for children were those who have no children, married and whose partners have desire to have children (P< 0.01). Those who were using family planning were educated (secondary and post secondary education), married, having three or more children and having knowledge on Mother To Child Transmission of HIV (P<0.05). The study also indicates that a number of women had no information on emergency contraceptive and had shown interest to use if unplanned sex has been practiced. Couples or individuals in need of children should be supported by availing adequate information on Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission service since high number of participants were in need of children.