Effect of HIV Status on Fertility Intention and Contraceptive Use among Women in 9 Sub-Saharan African Countries: Evidence from Demographic and Health Surveys

Joyce N. Mumah, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
Abdhalah K. Ziraba, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)

Expanding access to ART means that HIV is no longer a death sentence. This change has implications for reproductive decisions and behaviors of HIV infected individuals. Using multiple rounds of biomarker data from DHS in 9 SSA countries, we compare patterns of associations between fertility intention, modern contraception use and HIV status. Preliminary results show no clear consistent pattern of fertility intention and modern contraceptive use by HIV status, with variations observed across countries. However, for Rwanda and Zimbabwe HIV+ women with knowledge of their status had lower odds of wanting more children. Similarly, only in Rwanda were HIV+ women who knew their status more likely to be current users of contraception. The reverse was observed for Zimbabwe. The assumption that reproductive intention and behavior of HIV+ women will differ compared with HIV- women may therefore only hold true to the extent that women know their HIV status.