Fertility Desire and Reproductive Health Care Needs of Men and Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Nekemte, East Wollega, Ethiopia

Abstract

Understanding fertility desire and reproductive health care needs of HIV positive men and women in the era of better access to antiretroviral therapy and improved health status is important in planning and  organizing appropriate health services. To assess the fertility desire and reproductive health care needs of men and women living with HIV/AIDS in
Nekemte town, East Wollega, Ethiopia. A facility based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among PLHIV both men and women from February to March 2010 on a total sample of 592 respondents in Nekemte town using structured questionnaires complimented by an in-depth  interview. Men had higher desire to have a child than women (40.5% versus 30.7%). Men and women who were sexually active in the six months prior to survey were 78.4% and 61.8% respectively. Being male (AOR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1-2.8), having no living child (AOR: 13.1, 95%CI: 5.3-32.3), or having less than three living children (AOR: 4.2, 95%CI: 2.2-8.0), having partner desiring child (AOR: 15.4, 95%CI: 9.2-25.8), CD4 count .200 (AOR: 2.0, 95%CI: 1.2-3.5) were significantly associated with fertility desire. Health care delivery should consider the desire for children
by men and women living with HIV/AIDS in order to avert preventable untoward health and related consequences.