Fertility Intention and Family Planning Use among People Living with HIV/AIDS in Follow Up Care Western Shoa Zone (ART Treatment Unit)

HIV positive individuals may or may not have intention to have children. They could also have different degrees of utilization and demand for family planning. The desire of HIV infected persons to have children in the future has significant implication for the transmission of HIV to sexual partners or newborns. So this study contributes a lot for program planner or other influential people. The study was designed to determine the fertility desire and contraceptive utilization among People Living with HIV in ART follow up care in western Shoa Zone. A cross sectional institution based study design supplemented by qualitative in-depth interview was done between December to May 2012. The study was conducted in western Shoa Zone (three Hospital; Ambo, Gedo and Gindeberet hospital), western Ethiopia. The study population were all People Living with HIV who had at list one visit to the selected ARV treatment units and age group 18- 49 for women and 18-59 for men and the sample size taken were 462 and data were analyzed by SPPS version 16 computer soft ware. Seventy-eight (50.3%) male and One hundred twelve (36.5%) female respondents expressed the desire for children, giving a total of 190(41.13%) of all respondents. One hundred ninety-nine (43.1%) were using family planning during the study period. Majority of the respondents 150(71.8%) using condom. Those who intended children are those who have no children, married and partner desire for children. Those who use family planning were educated (secondary and post secondary education), married, having children of three or more and those having knowledge on Mother To Child Transmission of HIV. Couples or individuals in need of children should be supported by availing adequate information on Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission service link with the country HIV prevention and control plan and strategy since high number of participants are in need of children.