HIV positive women don't use contraceptives: Study

PIC: Participants during the national dissemination of the Global Fund supported studies at the Kampala Serena Hotel recently. (Credit: Agnes Kyotalengerire)

HEALTH | HIV

KAMPALA - As the government campaigns for a reduction in the number of children per woman, a study has revealed that 41% of women living with HIV do not use modern contraceptives.

According to a study among HIV positive women in HIV care, four out of 10 women of the 5,189 participants, who would like to stop child bearing or postpone for more than two years are not using any method of modern contraceptives.

The study, dubbed Family Planning and Sexual and Reproductive Health Survey, was conducted by the Makerere School of Public Health.

The same findings show that the women do not disclose their HIV status for fear of being chased away once their husbands discover they are using contraceptives.

"Some of the women do not use contraceptives for fear of losing their marriage because their husbands want them to have children. This puts the women at crossroads because the health workers advise them not to conceive until their viral load has gone down," Prof. Fredrick Makumbi, who works at Makerere University School of Public Health, said.

Makumbi, who is the co-investigator, said lack of HIV disclosure to spouses is one of the stumbling blocks among women living with HIV in accessing modern contraceptives.

He said four out of ten women not using modern contraceptives is such a big figure compared to the national unmet need for family planning prevalence of 28%, according to the 2016 Uganda Demographic Health Survey.

This was one of the five studies that Makerere School of Public Health together with Ministry of Health unveiled during the national dissemination of the Global Funded supported studies at the Kampala Serena Hotel recently.

Dr Matovu addressing fellow co-investigators and journalists during a media briefing. (Credit: Agnes Kyotalengerire)

Other four studies include primary HIV prevention programming in Uganda, condom programming, option B+ among HIV positive pregnant women assessment and Priorities for Local AIDS Efforts (PLACE) in Uganda. 

Dr. Joseph Matovu, the co-investigator, said the high figure of unmet need for family planning among HIV positive women has a big maternal health implication.

"The high unmet need prevalence seen among the women means many more unwanted children are going to be born. Secondly, the process through which the women get pregnant is the same process through which HIV is transmitted. This increases the risk of infecting their partners and unborn babies," Matovu said.

The survey was conducted between August and November 2016 in 245 HIV clinics in five regions; central, northern, eastern, western and Kampala.

The study also indicated that some of the HIV care clinics do not integrate other sexual and reproductive health services such as cervical screening.

In addition, some HIV care clinics do not stock contraceptives because they are faith-based and doing so is against the foundation body.

Women also complained that some of the modern contraceptives, for instance, injectable and pills have side effects because they are hormonal, Prof. Makumbi said.    

Prof. Fred Wabwire Magen (centre) chats with co-investigators Aggrey Mukose (left) and Prof. Fred Makumbi during the event. (Credit: Agnes Kyotalengerire)

Matovu said there is need to strengthen and integrate family planning services within HIV care clinics.

"This will enable HIV positive patients to access all the services under one roof. Consequently, this saves the patients of the time and money spent looking for the services," he said.

While opening the dissemination workshop, Prof. William Bazeyo, the deputy vice-chancellor in charge of finance and administration at Makerere School of Public Health, applauded the ministry of Health and the Global Fund for nsuring the research was successful.

Bazeyo told investigators to develop all the studies that have been disseminated into policy papers that parliamentarians will read, understand quickly and use it to make a difference.