• Ariane Lisann Bedimo-Rung, A Rebecca Clark, Jeanne Dumestre, Janet Rice, and Patricia Kissinger.
• School of Public Health, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1600 Canal St., Suite 800, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. abedim@lsuhsc.edu
• J Natl Med Assoc. 2005 Oct 1; 97 (10): 1403-10.

ObjectiveTo describe factors related to reproductive decision-making among HIV-infected women.Materials And MethodsA sample of HIV-infected women (N=104) who received care at an HIV clinic in the southern United States were interviewed about their reproductive decision-making. Women who became pregnant subsequent to HIV diagnosis were compared to women who did not become pregnant, and women who underwent a sterilization procedure subsequent to HIV diagnosis were compared to women who did not get sterilized.ResultsCompared to women who did not get pregnant after receiving an HIV diagnosis, women who became pregnant were more likely to be young, single, diagnosed earlier in the epidemic and to have more recently used a noninjecting drug. Among women who did not get pregnant, 63% reported their diagnosis greatly affected that decision. Having a partner who wants more children was not associated with pregnancy. Compared to women who did not get sterilized after learning their HIV status, women who did get sterilized tended to be Baptist and already had a prior live birth. Neither a woman's desire nor her partner's desire for more children was associated with sterilization.ConclusionsHIV is an important influence on HIV-infected women's reproductive choices, regardless of the decision being made. Reproductive counseling by HIV care providers needs to be sensitive to all the issues faced by these women.

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