Attitudes toward childbearing and changes in sexual and contraceptive practices among HIV-infected women. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1994. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Attitudes toward childbearing and changes in sexual and contraceptive practices among HIV-infected women.

Cleve Clin J Med. 1994 Mar-Apr;61(2):132-6; quiz 161. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/94251909
Lai KK; Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical; Center, Worcester 01655.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Women now constitute 12% of persons with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and three quarters of them are well within their childbearing age. OBJECTIVE: To determine if women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) change their attitudes toward childbearing and their sexual and contraceptive practices. METHODS: Questionnaire and interview. RESULTS: Forty-six women age 18 to 44 participated; 33 were white, 12 were Hispanic, and 1 was black. Intravenous drug abuse was reported by 65%. Nineteen had symptomatic HIV disease or AIDS. Only 70% said they had received counseling after testing. Of these, 59% said they were counseled on avoiding pregnancy, and 81% said they were counseled on use of condoms. Before testing, 59% had wanted to have children; after testing, only 17% did. Only 4% said they had always used condoms before testing, but 54% said they did after testing; 39% said they used some form of birth control before testing compared with 70% who said they did after testing. CONCLUSIONS: Counseling was not optimal. Sexual and contraceptive practices changed, but follow-up study will be needed to see if such changes are sustained.
Keywords: Adolescence Adult *Attitude to Health Condoms *Contraception Behavior Female Human HIV Infections/*PSYCHOLOGY Patient Education Pregnancy/PSYCHOLOGY *Sex Behavior Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. JOURNAL ARTICLE

KWDadolescenceadultKWDattitudetohealthcondomsKWDcontraceptionbehaviorfemalehumanhivinfections/KWDpsychologypatienteducationpregnancy/psychologyKWDsexbehaviorsupport,uKWDsKWDgov't,pKWDhKWDsKWDjournalarticle
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Copyright © 1994 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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