scholarly journals Reproductive intentions and choices among HIV-infected individuals in Cape Town, South Africa: Lessons for reproductive policy and service provision from a qualitative study

2005 ◽  

While many HIV-infected individuals do not wish to have children, others want children despite their infected status. The desire and intent to have children among HIV-infected individuals may increase because of improved quality of life and survival following commencement of antiretroviral treatment. In developing countries such as South Africa, where the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide reside, specific government reproductive health policy and service provision for HIV-infected individuals is underdeveloped. This policy brief presents findings from a qualitative study that explored HIV-infected individuals’ reproductive intentions, decision-making, and need for reproductive health services. The study also assessed the opinions of health-service providers, policymakers, and influential figures within nongovernmental organizations who are likely to play important roles in the shaping and delivery of reproductive health services. Conducted at two health centers in the Cape Town metropolitan area in South Africa from May 2004 to January 2005, the study focused on issues that impact reproductive choice and decision-making and identified critical policy, health service, and research-related matters to be addressed.

Author(s):  
Abenet Menene Gurara ◽  
Admasu Belay Gizaw ◽  
Awoke Koyachew Ayalew ◽  
Aliye Kediro Adem

Background & Aim: Reproductive health services utilization is an important component of health services in preventing adolescents’ sexual and reproductive hedgies & take corrective measures. The main purpose of this study is to determine reproductive health services utilization status and associated factors among adolescents at public schools in Adama town Ethiopia. Methods & Materials: Institution based cross-sectional study design was used with a total sample size of 367 adolescents in the schools. The sample size was proportionally allocated to grade nine, ten, eleven, and twelfth. The study subjects were selected by simple random sampling. A Standard pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data after getting informed consent from the study participants. Data were entered and analysed using SPSS version 20 software. Descriptive statistics and Logistic regression were done to describe and identify factors associated with reproductive health services utilization. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered to declare a level of significance. Results: The magnitude of reproductive health service utilization in this was 122(34%). Discussion with a sexual partner and peer, student’s educational status, sex, knowledge about the availability of reproductive health service were among the factors associated with the use and non-use of RH service. Conclusion: Utilization of Reproductive Health services among adolescents in the study area was low. Therefore, interventions such as advancing adolescents’ knowledge, encouraging open discussion forum, strengthening of youth centers, and school reproductive health clubs are important.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-20
Author(s):  
Md Mahbubur Rahman ◽  
Taniza Tabassum ◽  
Md Shafiqur Rahman ◽  
Abu Noman Mohammed Mosleh Uddin ◽  
Mushtaq Ahmad ◽  
...  

Introduction:  Women’s healthcare during the reproductive period of life, especially decisions involving her own health is generally one of the least concerns to the common people. Women’s autonomy in decision-making within the family is fairly debatable and determines the health service seeking behaviour. Objective: To find out the perceptions about key persons involved in decision-making for accessing reproductive healthcare services as well as factors that influence those decisions among urban women of Bangladesh. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted by key informant interviewing (KII) of 72 respondents about their perceptions of decision-making in women’s reproductive health services in Dhaka South City Corporation during the period of January 2019 to April 2019. Health professionals of various levels, administrators, family heads were selected as key informants by purposive sampling method. An open-ended semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Result: Among the key informants, more than half were doctors (58.3%). The majority of the respondents were female (72%) and having educational qualification up to graduate level (40.3%). Majority of the informants (73.9%) mentioned ‘both parents’ as key persons in under 18 marriage of their daughters; 57.1% of respondents opined that ‘Factors like social environment, social status, uncertainty to find better groom, dowry etc.’ influences in decision-making. All of the respondents felt antenatal care ‘essential’ and about half of them (50.0%) mentioned the importance of complication detection and treatment during pregnancy. According to the respondents, ‘mother-in-law’ is the key person in women’s decision-making regarding antenatal care (65.3%) and ‘husband’ is the key person regarding selection of the place of delivery and postnatal care (79.2%, 72.2%) respectively. Half of the respondents (50%) expressed the family size determination in an urban area is done mutually by ‘both partners’ while the role of the ‘husband’ is still perceived important (41.7%). Majority expressed that economic condition of the family (63.9%) have an influence in determining family size by the respondents. According to more than half of the respondents (52.8%), both partners take part in decision-making regarding family planning. Conclusion: Although the educated employed women enjoy some degree of autonomy in urban areas of Bangladesh, the decision-making in accessing woman’s reproductive healthcare services is directed by the husband. Involvement of both partners in decision-making is essential for better utilization of reproductive health services. Journal of Armed Forces Medical College Bangladesh Vol.14(1) 2018: 15-20


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Tewachew Muche Liyeh ◽  
Yitayal Ayalew Goshu ◽  
Habtamu Gebrehana Belay ◽  
Habtamu Abie Tasew ◽  
Gedefaye Nibret Mihiretie ◽  
...  

Introduction. Youth is a decisive age to shape the direction of their life and that of their family. However, due to the host of biological, social, and economic factors, adolescent females can be at high risk of adverse sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Therefore, assessing youth reproductive service utilization and associated factors among female night students is very crucial for timely intervention to their gaps. Method. An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was conducted in Amhara region among 2,050 female night students from September 15 to November 15, 2018. A self-administered pretested questionnaire was used to collect the data. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was computed to determine the strength of association between predictor and outcome variables. P value less than or equal to 0.05 is considered as the level of significance. Results. Out of the total respondents, about 54.6%(CI: 52.5%-56.8%) of them utilized reproductive health services. Respondents who were attending secondary education ( AOR = 2.55 , 95 % CI = 1.97 ‐ 5.62 ), attitude towards youth reproductive health services ( AOR = 2.74 , 95 % CI = 2.07 ‐ 5.30 ), those who had a habit of communicating on sexual and reproductive health issues with their family ( AOR = 3.66 , 95 % CI = 3.59 ‐ 7.41 ), discussion on sexual and reproductive health issue with peers/friends ( AOR = 1.43 , 95 % CI = 1.01 ‐ 2.02 ), respondents with good knowledge on youth reproductive health services ( AOR = 2.03 , 95 % CI = 1.49 ‐ 2.75 ), and those who had faced reproductive health problems ( AOR = 2.03 , 95 % CI = 1.49 ‐ 2.75 ) were significantly associated with youth reproductive health service utilization. Conclusion. Youth reproductive health service utilization among female night students was not satisfactory. Therefore, special focus should be given to female night students by providing accessible, acceptable, confidential, flexible, and friendly reproductive health service utilization. Finally, community health promotion and education are mandatory to promote the practice of discussing youth reproductive health issues with their children.


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