Journal of AIDS & Clinical Research

Unmet Need for Family Planning Among Women in HIV/AIDS Care at Antiretroviral Treatment Clinic in South Ethiopia: A Challenge to Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission

Abstract

Mekdes Daba Feyssa, Yemane Berhane Tsehay and Amare Worku Tadesse

Background: Pregnancies in HIV positive women may or may not be desired. Family planning methods can be provided as an option to avoid undesired pregnancies. However, the prevalence of unmet need for family planning methods and its determinants among reproductive age women in HIV/AIDS care is not well known. This research assessed the prevalence and determinants of unmet need among HIV positive reproductive age women in HIV/AIDS care at Hawassa referral hospital, Southern Ethiopia.

Methods: A quantitative cross sectional study was done on HIV positive reproductive age women in HIV/AIDS care antiretroviral treatment (ART) clinic Hawassa referral hospital. Married or cohabiting with partner women, who were sexually active one year prior to survey, were included. A total of 658 women were studied. Data were entered and cleaned using computer software. Logistic regression analysis was done to select determinants of unmet need for family planning.

Results: The prevalence of unmet need for family planning was 19.1%, of whom 5.9% had unmet need for limiting and 13.2% for spacing. Women who were aged between 15-24 years [AOR, 2.86, 95%CI 1.09-7.48] and 25-34 years [AOR, 2.56, 95%CI, 1.18-5.57], illiterate [AOR, 2.76, 95%CI, 1.48-5.15] and completed primary education [AOR, 1.89, 95%CI, 1.05-3.40], had high unmet need for family planning. Women who desired children [AOR, 1.67, 95%CI, 1.01- 2.76], did not use family planning previously [AOR, 2.75, 95%CI, 1.07-7.06], did not receive family planning on day of interview at HIV/AIDS care [AOR, 6.82, 95%CI 2.73-17.06] and were not on ART [AOR, 1.71, 95%CI 1.06-2.74] had high unmet need.

Conclusions: The prevalence of unmet need for family planning among women in HIV/AIDS care at Hawassa is high. Integration of family planning services at ART clinic and increased attention to women who are less educated, young adults, naïve to family planning and not on ART is recommended.

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