Reproductive Intentions and Reproductive Health Care Needs of Men and Women living with HIV/AIDS in Nekemte town, East Wollega, Ethiopia
Creators: name: Regassa, Tesfaye
Publisher: name: National Academic Digital Repository of Ethiopia
Year: 2010

description: Background: - Most people living with HIV/AIDS are in the childbearing age and face difficult choices concerning their sexuality and childbearing. Improvements in life expectancy and quality of life for HIV-positive women and men coupled with reduced vertical transmission will likely lead numerous HIV-positive women and men to consider having a child. Their fertility desire and reproductive health care needs of HIV positive individuals are changing as their health get improved and the change in quality of life. Objective:-The objective of the study was to assess the fertility intentions and reproductive health care needs of men and women living with HIV/AIDS in Nekemte town, East Wollega, Ethiopia. Methods:-An institutional based comparative cross-sectional study was carried out among men and women living with HIV/AIDS from February to March 2010 on total sample of 592 in Nekemte public health institutions. Patients who visited the health facility and fulfilled the inclusion criteria were interviewed consecutively. Data was collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaires supplemented by qualitative in-depth interview. Quantitative data were entered and cleaned by EPI info then exported to SPSS version 16 for analysis. Result: - About 36% (n=211) of respondents desired more children. Men were more to desire child than the women 120(40.5%) versus 91 (30.7%). Generally people who desire children are being male (AOR: 1.706, 95%CI: 1.045-2.784), younger age 18-29 years (AOR: 3.493, 95%CI: 1.644-7.424), age 30-39 years (AOR: 2.975, 95%CI: 1.477-5.991), having no living child (AOR: 13.140, 95%CI : 5.347- 32.289), having 1-2 living children (AOR: 4.157, 95%CI: 2.166- 7.975), having partner who desire child (AOR: 15.402, 95%CI: 9.198-25.789), recent CD4 count 200 (AOR: 2.014, 95%CI: 1.158-3.502) were positively and significantly associated with fertility desire. Among HIV positive women who desired children were younger age 18-24 years (AOR: 3.508, 95%CI: 1.099-11.201), having no living child (AOR: 6.729, 95%CI : 1.958- 23.132), having 1- 2 living children (AOR: 2.975, 95%CI: 1.139-7.767), having partner who desire child (AOR: 17.430, 95%CI: 8.051-37.734), family size &lt; 2 (AOR: 3.526, 95%CI: 1.469-8.459) were positively and significantly associated with women's fertility desire. III Among HIV positive men who desired children were younger age 18-29 years (AOR: . 3.030, 95%CI: 1.218,7.537), age 30-39 years (AOR: 3.105, 95%CI: 1.408, 6.847), having no living child (AOR: 16.435, 95%CI : 4.281,63.093), having 1-2 living children (AOR: 4.652, 95%CI: 1.943-11.134), having partner who desire child (AOR: 16.734, 95%CI: 8.200-34.150) were positively and significantly associated with men fertility desire. Conclusion and recommendation Most PMTCT interventions have targeted women. However, men were more likely to desire more children than women, and men are often the decision makers in matters related to reproductive choices. Under circumstances in which many HIV-infected individuals, intentionally or unintentionally, continue to have children, dealing openly with their fertility desires make it to meet their reproductive health care needs. Patients who do not want to become pregnant require effective contraception. Those who desire children and are engaging in pregnancy risk behavior need education on the efficacy of PMTCT interventions which should target men and male partner of HIV-infected women too.