For a study, researchers sought to understand that contrary to those without HIV, women with HIV had a higher rate of unplanned pregnancies. To lower the rate of perinatal HIV transmission globally, the World Health Organization and the HIV Pregnancy Planning Guidelines advise preventing unwanted births and providing contraceptive counseling to women living with HIV. Post-partum (PP) contraceptive use in women with HIV has not been evaluated by any studies. All women with HIV who gave birth to a live child at Oak Tree Clinic between January 1, 2014, and September 15, 2019, were included in their retrospective chart study. The major goals were to determine the amount and forms of contraception used by women with HIV within 3 months postpartum and assess whether contraceptive counseling is related to contraception use. In the past 3 months PP, 79% of the 110 participants used contraception. The most popular method of contraception was an intrauterine device (22% of participants), followed by depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (18%). About 86% and 92% of those who planned to use contraception PP did so within 3 and 12 months, respectively. With contraceptive use within 3 months postpartum, contraception counseling throughout pregnancy, and up to 3 months, PP was linked (P<0.05). Within 3 months of PP, most women were utilizing contraception. A high rate of contraceptive use was caused by having a contraception strategy. To lay out the requirements for initiating highly effective forms of contraception, women with HIV should have a PP contraceptive strategy before getting pregnant. It should be included during pregnancy and immediately following the postpartum period. Contraception counseling was linked to the usage of contraception.

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hiv.13371

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