Experience of pregnancy and maternity by adolescents/young people born infected with HIV

Abstract

Objective: to understand the experience of pregnancy and motherhood by adolescents/young people who were born infected with HIV. Method: we carried out a qualitative study specialized in HIV service in Porto Alegre (RS/Brazil). Ten adolescents/young people were interviewed from June 2017 to March 2018. Thematic analysis was performed, using a vulnerability framework to reflect about unplanned pregnancy and its implications for care. Results: four categories were highlighted: Discovery of the ongoing pregnancy: ambivalent feelings towards seropositivity; Breaking the news of the pregnancy to partner, family and health professionals; Experience of childbirth and prophylaxis of vertical transmission of HIV; and Experience of motherhood: implications for life stories and future projects. Final considerations: the study contributes to addressing situations of vulnerability to the occurrence of unplanned pregnancy, showing the need for dialogical proposals that respect human rights in the production of comprehensive care and reproductive planning.

Reproductive Decision Making of Spanish Women Living With HIV: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study

“…Our data suggested that motherhood for WWH is not an individual or easy decision; many women feel pressured by family and community members to become mothers, as shown in the literature (Huertas et al, 2021). Fear of transmission and having a limited life expectancy, lack of knowledge, misinformation, stigma, and prejudice were reasons that affected birth desire in this population, as found in earlier studies (Lima et al, 2017;Silva et al, 2019Silva et al, , 2020Zachek et al, 2019). The lack of knowledge about the relationship between HIV and sexual and reproductive health is still pervasive (Friedman et al, 2016).…”

The Childbirth Experiences of Pregnant Women Living with HIV Virus: Scoping Review

“…It has been reported that through a multidisciplinary approach and emotional support during challenging periods, PWLWHIV rely on faith and the desire to live on, aiming to care for their children and witness their healthy growth and development. Health professionals play a crucial role in elucidating the distinctions between HIV infection and AIDS while also providing information about the effectiveness of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) [ 57 ].…”