Abstract:
Background: Globally, a significant number of women living with HIV/AIDS continue to have children after being diagnosed with HIV, despite the danger of HIV transmission to their sexual partners and children. The desire of women living with HIV/AIDS to have children can have significant public health implications due to maternal to child transmission.
Objective: To identify determinants of fertility desire among women living with HIV/AIDS in the childbearing age attending ART at public health facilities in Arada sub-city, Addis Ababa, from April 17 to May 17, 2023.
Method: A facility-based unmatched case-control study was conducted among 403 (134 cases and 269 controls) women living with HIV/AIDS attending ART at public health facilities in Arada sub-city, Addis Ababa. Cases were women living with HIV who had fertility desire, and controls were those who had not. Both cases and controls were selected using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected by pretested and structured questionnaires with face-to-face interviews via KoboCollect v2023.1.2 mobile tool. Collected data then exported to SPSS version 26 for analysis. Descriptive statistics, bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify candidate and independent determinants of fertility desire using AORs with corresponding 95% CIs at P value < 0.05. Finally, findings were presented using texts, tables and figures.
Results: Women age of 15-24 years (AOR=3.2; 95% CI: 1.2-8.5) and 25-34 years (AOR=2.7; 95% CI: 1.3-5.6), women with no child (AOR=5.9; 95% CI: 2.1-16.8) and 1-2 children (AOR=2.9; 95% CI: 1.1-8.5), partner‟s fertility desire (AOR=4.4; 95% CI: 2.1-9.1), good knowledge of PMTCT (AOR=3.4; 95% CI: 1.8-6.6) & discussion with HCWs (AOR=2.4; 95% CI: 1.1-5.0) were identified as independent determinants of fertility desire.
Conclusion and Recommendation: Younger age, fewer numbers of alive children, partner‟s fertility desire, good knowledge of PMTCT and discussion with HCWs on reproductive health were found to be the independent predictors of fertility desire among women living with HIV/AIDS. HCWs focus on strengthening informed decision making of women living with HIV/AIDS about their fertility desire by focusing on assessing their needs, detail counseling for RH and PMTCT for safe delivery and eliminated MTCT
