TY - JOUR
T1 - Desire for fertility among HIV-seroconcordant and -discordant couples in Lusaka, Zambia
AU - Cook, Ryan
AU - Hayden, Robert
AU - Weiss, Stephen M.
AU - Jones, Deborah L.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grant number
PY - 2014/7
Y1 - 2014/7
N2 - Pregnancy rates and the desire to conceive are increasing among women living with HIV in Africa. However, attempts to conceive may increase the risk of HIV transmission or reinfection. A better understanding of factors influencing fertility desires would significantly contribute to programmes to meet the reproductive needs of women living with HIV. Using a couples-based approach, this paper explored fertility desires among HIV-seroconcordant and -discordant couples in Lusaka, Zambia. Participants were 208 heterosexual couples recruited from community health clinics and their respective catchment areas. Couples completed assessments on demographics, condom use, relationship quality and communication. Desire for children was often shared among couple members, and the strongest predictor of participants' desire for children was having a partner who wanted children. Additionally, the number of children participants had, their own reports of positive communication, and their partner's HIV serostatus influenced reproductive desires. Results support the involvement of both couple members in pre-conception counselling and pregnancy planning interventions. The inclusion of both partners may be a more effective strategy to respond to the reproductive needs of couples affected by HIV, enabling them to safeguard the health of both partners and infants.
AB - Pregnancy rates and the desire to conceive are increasing among women living with HIV in Africa. However, attempts to conceive may increase the risk of HIV transmission or reinfection. A better understanding of factors influencing fertility desires would significantly contribute to programmes to meet the reproductive needs of women living with HIV. Using a couples-based approach, this paper explored fertility desires among HIV-seroconcordant and -discordant couples in Lusaka, Zambia. Participants were 208 heterosexual couples recruited from community health clinics and their respective catchment areas. Couples completed assessments on demographics, condom use, relationship quality and communication. Desire for children was often shared among couple members, and the strongest predictor of participants' desire for children was having a partner who wanted children. Additionally, the number of children participants had, their own reports of positive communication, and their partner's HIV serostatus influenced reproductive desires. Results support the involvement of both couple members in pre-conception counselling and pregnancy planning interventions. The inclusion of both partners may be a more effective strategy to respond to the reproductive needs of couples affected by HIV, enabling them to safeguard the health of both partners and infants.
KW - HIV
KW - Zambia
KW - couples counselling
KW - intervention
KW - pregnancy planning
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U2 - 10.1080/13691058.2014.902103
DO - 10.1080/13691058.2014.902103
M3 - Article
C2 - 24815904
AN - SCOPUS:84904391017
SN - 1369-1058
VL - 16
SP - 741
EP - 751
JO - Culture, Health and Sexuality
JF - Culture, Health and Sexuality
IS - 7
ER -