Scale up use of family planning services to prevent maternal transmission of HIV among discordant couples: a cross-sectional study within a resource-limited setting

BACKGROUND: Integration of family planning services (FPS) into human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care for HIV-infected women is an important aspect of the global prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) strategy. We assessed the integration of FPS into routine care of HIV-infected mothers by evaluating the uptake and barriers of contraception and PMTCT services. METHODS: We conducted an interventional study using the interrupted time series approach in the health care facilities located in Yaounde Cameroon. First structured questionnaires related to family planning use PMTCT services use and infection risk of the sexual partner were administered to the first trimester pregnant women who were HIV infected and living with uninfected partners. Second 2 weeks before the delivery date the women were interviewed according to the prior counseling interventions received in order to assess their behavior on FPS antiretroviral therapy (ART) use delivery option and infant nourishment to be adopted. P-values below 0.05 were considered statistically significant in the statistical analyses. RESULTS: Of 94 HIV-infected women 69% were stable couples. Only 13% of women had attended FPS before conception. Although the vast majority were knowledgeable about modern and traditional contraception methods only 19% had experienced effective contraceptive methods. However 66% preferred condom use 45% having three children still expressed a desire to conceive while 44% reported abortions 65% had tried to avoid the current pregnancy and 12% of women were ART naive. Several predictors such as education abortion rate unplanned pregnancies and partners decision were associated with the nonuse of effective contraceptive methods. Moreover barriers including sex inequity lack of partner support ART shortages and lack of HIV viral load monitoring were prevalent among the participants (P=0.001). However FPS use ART compliance and safe options to PMTCT significantly increased after the educational counseling interventions (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Scaling up the FPS by incorporating routine PMTCT services into reproductive health care should contribute to preventing both horizontal and vertical transmission of HIV.