African Journal of AIDS and HIV Research

African Journal of AIDS and HIV Research ISSN 2736-1748 Vol. 8 (4), pp. 001-006, April, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Contraceptive uptake, reproductive choices and sexual behavior of HIV positive compared to HIV negative women participating in the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV program in Zimbabwe

Kurewa N. E.¹*, Munjoma M. W.², Hussain A.³, Chirenje Z. M.², Sebit M. B.⁴ and Stray-Pedersen B.⁵

¹Letten Foundation Research Center, No. 3 Everrette Clause, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe.

²Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe Medical School, Zimbabwe.

³Department of International Community Health, University of Oslo Norway, Zimbabwe.

⁴Department of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe Medical School, Zimbabwe.

⁵Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo and Rikshospitalet Oslo Norway, Zimbabwe.

Accepted 11 February, 2020

Abstract

Contraceptive uptake and pregnancy desires have not been adequately reported within prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) initiatives in developing countries. Women were enrolled from a PMTCT program at 36 gestational weeks. A questionnaire on contraception and conception desires was interview administered to the women between 3 and 24 months after birth. A total of 273 women responded to the questionnaire, 189 HIV infected and 84 HIV negative. Significant differences were observed by HIV status for all types of contraception with 22% of the HIV infected women reporting none usage compared to 14% for HIV negatives (p < 0.001). Over 50% of the HIV infected women reported using condoms compared to 13% among the negatives (p < 0.001), whereas 13% of HIV infected women expressed desire for subsequent children. More than 60% of the women did not know their sexual partner’s HIV status regardless of their own, whilst 25% of the HIV infected had not disclosed their status to their sexual partners. Contraceptive use was high regardless of women’s HIV status, whereas a high proportion of HIV negative women were not using condoms. Some of the HIV infected women expressed future pregnancy desires whilst others had not disclosed their HIV status.