Attitude of people living with HIV/AIDS to be a biological parent and their knowledge on MTCT reduction methods

Abstract

Background: A number of epidemiological studies have addressed the issue of HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia. However, to the best of author's knowledge, little has been done to explore people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs') attitude towards childbearing, knowledge on mother to child HIV transmission (MTCT) reduction methods.

Objective: To assess PLWHAs' attitude towards being a biological parent in the future and their knowledge on MTCT of HIV reduction methods.

Methods: A cross sectional study design was used to conduct quantitative and qualitative study in three public hospitals among PLWHAs on antiretroviral therapy. Systematic sampling for quantitative, and non-probability sampling for qualitative study was applied to select 507 and 32 research participants, respectively.

Result: In general, 41.0% of quantitative study pariicipants had desire to be a biological parent in the future (54.2% of men and 31.6% of women) (P < 0.0001). A smaller proportion of HIV-infected women desire children in the future than men, primarily due to fear of deterioration of healthiness due to pregnancy. Study participants assumed that pregnancy speed up HIV disease progression and it is cited as one of the major deterrent for lack of childbearing desire. Nearly three-fourths (72.4%) of respondents overestimated the risk of MTCT of HIV (P < 0.0001). There is very little knowledge on significance of operative delivery to reduce MTCT of HIV. About two-fifths (59.0%) of the study sample had knowledge on two methods of reduction of MTCT of HIV (P < 0.005).

Conclusion: Pregnancy decision-making is found to be a challenge for PLWHAs primarily due to fear of potential health risk to the mother, vertical transmission of HIV to the baby, incapacitated economic status and the psychological trauma HIV incurred on them.