CONTRACEPTIVE USE AMONG WOMEN LIVING WITH HIV AND AIDS RECEIVING CARE AT SECONDARY AND TERTIARY HEALTH FACILITIES IN IBADAN NIGERIA

Abstract

Contraceptive use is a form of family planning and it is one practice among the most important health decisions that many people make and this does not exclude women living with HIV/AIDS. Lack of adequate information on available contraceptive methods and restriction of choices are major constraints for contraceptive users to obtain a method that suits their unmet need. Hence, this study was designed to assess the unmet need of contraceptives use among women living with HIV and AIDS receiving care at secondary and tertiary health facilities in Ibadan. A cross-sectional study using systematic random sampling technique was conducted to select 350 consenting women among HIV positive women receiving care in two health facilities in Ibadan. A pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire which contained respondents' Socio-demographic characteristics, unmet need of contraceptive use, family planning method used and their effectiveness, types of contraceptive need, experience of modern contraceptive methods and level of satisfaction of modern contraceptive use among HIV positive women in Nigeria was adopted. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at p=0.05. Age of the respondents was 37.0+8.5, 87.0% were married and 68.0% were in monogamous marriage. Respondents with Junior and Senior Secondary School certificates were 41.1% and 34.3% rates respectively. About 97.0% of the women had had at least one birth, 46.0% of the women had 4-6 previous pregnancies, 44.0% had 1-3 pregnancies while 7% had more than 6 previous pregnancies. Current method of contraception was influenced by joint agreement with their spouses (33.0%), Husband (26.5%) and self (23.8%). Condom was the commonest choice (54.8%) followed by Oral pills (20.1%) while Injectables (16.1%) IUCD (10.5%) and Implants (9.5%) were the least common choices respectively. More than a tenth (11.0%) have encountered problems with the methods they used, of which the prominent problems include lack of menses (27.0%), scanty menses (15.0%), heavy menses (12.0%). Of the women that encountered problems, 54.0% indicated they would seek solution from providers, 15.0% would adopt traditional methods, 12.0% would change method while about 4.0% don’t know what to do. A

significant association was found between satisfaction with modern contraception and continuation. Factors influencing continuation of chosen method included (39.7%), availability (24.1), Affordability (14.1%) and effectiveness (13.1%). A Major reason for being satisfied with chosen method was adequate information before choice (94.5%). No significant association was found between the chosen modern contraceptive and level of education. Husbands with secondary and higher education had significant influence on the kind of contraceptive chosen by their wives. High level of education and previous use of contraceptives supported by spouses are factors influencing modern contraceptive choices. Family planning programme should be incorporated as a component part of care for women living with HIV and AIDS.