Preventing Unintended Pregnancies
Reducing unmet need for family planning so that all women who do not want to become pregnant now or in the future have access to contraception could have a significant effect on preventing perinatal transmission of HIV – in part because many women do not know their HIV status. “Increasing voluntary contraceptive use had been an underused approach, despite clear evidence that preventing pregnancies in HIV-infected women who do not wish to become pregnant is an effective strategy for reducing HIV-positive births…The lack of attention to contraception as an effective HIV prevention strategy is particularly disconcerting given that the evidence of contraceptive efficacy is juxtaposed by high levels of unintended pregnancies among women living with HIV. Unintended pregnancies account for 14–58% of all births in countries where the burden of HIV is the greatest” (Wilcher et al., 2008: ii54). Additional information about contraception services for women living with HIV, along with linkages to HIV services can be found in Chapter 8. Meeting the Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs of Women Living With HIV and Chapter 13. Structuring Health Services to Meet Women’s Needs.