Reproductive decision-making among HIV-Infected women.
OBJECTIVE
To describe factors related to reproductive decision-making among HIV-infected women.


METHODS
A sample of HIV-infected women (N=104) who received care at an HIV clinic in the southern United States were interviewed about their reproductive decision-making. Women who became pregnant subsequent to HIV diagnosis were compared to women who did not become pregnant, and women who underwent a sterilization procedure subsequent to HIV diagnosis were compared to women who did not get sterilized.


RESULTS
Compared to women who did not get pregnant after receiving an HIV diagnosis, women who became pregnant were more likely to be young, single, diagnosed earlier in the epidemic and to have more recently used a noninjecting drug. Among women who did not get pregnant, 63% reported their diagnosis greatly affected that decision. Having a partner who wants more children was not associated with pregnancy. Compared to women who did not get sterilized after learning their HIV status, women who did get sterilized tended to be Baptist and already had a prior live birth. Neither a woman's desire nor her partner's desire for more children was associated with sterilization.


CONCLUSIONS
HIV is an important influence on HIV-infected women's reproductive choices, regardless of the decision being made. Reproductive counseling by HIV care providers needs to be sensitive to all the issues faced by these women.
Bedimo-Rung
Ariane Lisann
AL
School of Public Health, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1600 Canal St., Suite 800, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. abedim@lsuhsc.edu
Clark
A Rebecca
AR
Dumestre
Jeanne
J
Rice
Janet
J
Kissinger
Patricia
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003151:Community Health Centers; D003657:Decision Making; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008145:Louisiana; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013245:Sterilization, Reproductive / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology