Family Planning In The Context Of HIV Infection

The World Health organisation identified family planning as a cost effective means of preventing unintended pregnancies in HIV infected women and also a means of preventing mother to child transmission of HIV. Hence the adoption of family planning as one of the four pillars of the comprehensive approach to the prevention mother to child transmission of HIV. In order to actualize this plan, the global health community embarked on creating stronger linkages between family planning and HIV policies, programs, and services. These linkages are essential to meet the needs of women and their families and to achieve international development goals, such as the millennium development goals (MDG 4,5 and 6), an AIDS-free generation and greater access to reproductive health services. Thus, the birth of integrating family planning to HIV prevention, treatment and care programs. This strategy was aimed at improving access and uptake of family planning services by HIV infected women, bearing in mind its contributions to maternal and child health. However, rates of unintended pregnancies remain alarmingly high in women with HIV, and family planning interventions have been underutilized in HIV Prevention, care, and treatment programs. This is not surprising in a country like Nigeria whose current overall prevalence rate of family planning use is 15% (1). This reflects a low utilization rate of family planning despite its immense benefits.