Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy and Increased Use of Contraceptives Among HIV-Positive Women During Expanding Access to Antiretroviral Therapy in Mbarara, Uganda

The current study examined whether prevalence of contraceptive use among HIV-positive women varied according to use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in Mbarara, Uganda.

Data from a cross-sectional survey of 484 HIV-positive women (ages 18-50) attending Mbarara University's HIV clinic between November 2005 and June 2006 were used. Forty-five percent of the women were receiving HAART. Multivariate logistic regression was used to study the association between HAART use and contraceptive use.

In total, 45 percent of the women were sexually active in the previous three months, of which 85 percent reported using contraceptive methods. Of these, 84 percent reported using barrier contraceptive methods. Compared to women not receiving HAART, those receiving it were more than twice as likely to use contraceptive methods (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=2.64; 95 percent confidence interval [CI]=1.07, 6.49) and more than three times as likely to use barrier contraceptive methods (AOR=3.62; 95 percent CI=1.54, 8.55).

"Our findings support the need for increased attention to better integration of reproductive health and HIV and AIDS services for women who are HIV-positive," the authors concluded.

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