Pregnancy Desire, Partner Serodiscordance, and Partner HIV Disclosure among Reproductive Age HIV-Infected Women in an Urban Clinic.
Women comprise 25% of the US HIV epidemic, with many women of reproductive age. There is a need for providers to address the reproductive needs and desires of women with HIV given that effective antiretroviral therapy has transformed HIV into a chronic disease. This cross-sectional study shows high rates of partner serodiscordance (61%) and moderate HIV disclosure to partners (61%). Patients surveyed reported practitioners discuss condoms (94%) and contraception (71%) more often than pregnancy desire (38%). In our sample, 44% of the surveyed women intended future pregnancy, whereas women who did not intend future pregnancy cited HIV/health and serodiscordance as the most common reasons (56% and 35%, resp.). There was no difference in the knowledge of mother-to-child transmission risk between women who intended or did not intend future pregnancy (p = 0.71). These results underline the need for provider training in reproductive counseling to promote risk reduction and education.
General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; General Internal Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
Corinne M
CM
Rhodes
Department of Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI 02906, USA.
Susan
S
Cu-Uvin
Department of Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI 02906, USA.
Aadia I
AI
Rana
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003376:Counseling; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D030881:Disclosure; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000523:psychology*; D012747:Sexual Partners