Barriers to Pregnancy Spacing in Women Living with HIV: A Series of Informational Interviews

Authors

Rachel K. Scott, MedStar Health Research Institute and Department of Women’s and Infants’ Services, MedStar Washington Hospital CenterFollow
Piyapa Praditpan, NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York, USAFollow
Patricia Tanjutco, MedStar Health Research Institute
Elizabeth Laidlaw, George Washington University
Regina Zopf, George Washington University
Manon M. Schladen, MedStar Health Research Institute, Georgetown University Medical CenterFollow

Abstract

For reproductive-age women living with HIV, birth spacing allows for optimization of maternal health and viral suppression to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. We conducted semi-structured informational interviews to explore use of contraception for birth spacing. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed. Audio files were reviewed to capture non-explicit data. We interviewed 18 multiparous HIV positive women. All described experiences with at least one contraceptive method. Six themes emerged: Burden of contraception, Failure of birth control, Impact of youth and lack of life experience, Community beliefs about birth control, Lack of partner cooperation, and Altruism. Women viewed birth spacing favorably. Young age at first delivery, contraceptive side effects, non-adherence to short-acting methods, lack of partner cooperation, and prior contraceptive failure were identified as barriers to ideal birth spacing. Additional outreach is needed in women living with HIV to overcome barriers to planned pregnancy and birth spacing.

Keywords

HIV; Pregnancy Spacing; Birth Spacing; Inter-Pregnancy Interval; Dual Method; Contraception; Family Planning; Miles, Huberman and Saldaña Analytic Framework

Author Bio(s)

Rachel K. Scott, MD, MPH, is with MedStar Health Research Institute, Washington, D.C. and the Department of Women’s and Infants’ Services at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C. Correspondence regarding this article can be addressed directly to: rachelkscott@gmail.com.

Piyapa Praditpan, MD, MPH, is with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine; Brooklyn, New York. Correspondence regarding this article can also be addressed directly to: piyapa.praditpan@nyumc.org.

Patricia Tanjutco, MD, is with MedStar Health Research Institute, Washington, D.C.

Elizabeth Laidlaw, PA-C, MPH, received her PA-C and MPH from George Washington University and was an MPH student at the time of this study, Washington, D.C.

Regina Zopf, MD, is an assistant professor with George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C.

Manon Maitland Schladen, EdS, PhD, is with MedStar Health Research Institute, Washington, D.C. and Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C. Correspondence regarding this article can also be addressed directly to: mmschladen@gmail.com.

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by funding from the MedStar Washington Hospital Center Graduate Medical Education.

Publication Date

5-7-2018

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2018.3094

Recommended APA Citation

Scott, R. K., Praditpan, P., Tanjutco, P., Laidlaw, E., Zopf, R., & Schladen, M. M. (2018). Barriers to Pregnancy Spacing in Women Living with HIV: A Series of Informational Interviews. The Qualitative Report, 23(5), 1055-1074. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2018.3094