Fertility desire and associated factors among reproductive age women attending antiretroviral therapy at public hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia

Background: Human immune virus (HIV) remains a major cause of death in children and women worldwide. Women’s desire to have children in the future has significant implications for the transmission of the human immune deficiency virus to sexual partners and newborns. People living with HIV desire to...

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Main Authors: Legesse Abera, Betelhem Mengistu, Mickiale Hailu, Mawerdi Adem, Daniel Tadesse
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2025-03-01
Series:Women's Health
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057251320481
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author Legesse Abera
Betelhem Mengistu
Mickiale Hailu
Mawerdi Adem
Daniel Tadesse
author_facet Legesse Abera
Betelhem Mengistu
Mickiale Hailu
Mawerdi Adem
Daniel Tadesse
author_sort Legesse Abera
collection DOAJ
description Background: Human immune virus (HIV) remains a major cause of death in children and women worldwide. Women’s desire to have children in the future has significant implications for the transmission of the human immune deficiency virus to sexual partners and newborns. People living with HIV desire to have children, and counseling by their healthcare providers plays a critical role in ensuring planned pregnancies and minimizing mother-to-child transmission. However, in many settings, a large majority of HIV-positive women who desire more children do not discuss reproductive health and childbearing with their healthcare providers. The objective of this study was to assess fertility desire and associated factors among reproductive age women living with a HIV attending antiretroviral therapy (ART) in public hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted on November 01–30, 2022 among 598 reproductive age women attending ART clinics in public hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select the participants. Data were collected from five female nurses through face-to-face interviews using a structured and pre-tested questionnaire. Data were entered into Epi-Data 3.1 and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 24. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. Variables with a p -value <0.25 in bivariate analysis were included in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. Variables associated with desire for fertility were declared at p -value <0.05, with adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: This study showed that 42.0% (95% CI: 31.7%–52.28%) of women had a desire for fertility. Women aged (15–24) (AOR = 2.52, 95% CI: 1.58–3.50), married women (AOR = 3.21, 95% CI 1.42–5.11), having no children (AOR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.51–2.52), and desire to have children (AOR = 2.98, 95% CI: 1.84–4.12) were significantly associated with desire for fertility. Conclusion: This study revealed that a significant proportion of women desire fertility despite their positive status. Moreover, being young, married, having no child, and having a partner’s desire to have children were factors associated with the desire for fertility.
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spelling doaj-art-cb03fd0d131d44109a92853ebd14a98b2025-08-20T02:42:01ZengSAGE PublishingWomen's Health1745-50652025-03-012110.1177/17455057251320481Fertility desire and associated factors among reproductive age women attending antiretroviral therapy at public hospitals in Eastern EthiopiaLegesse Abera0Betelhem Mengistu1Mickiale Hailu2Mawerdi Adem3Daniel Tadesse4Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dire Dawa University, Dire Dawa, Eastern EthiopiaDepartment of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dire Dawa University, Dire Dawa, Eastern EthiopiaDepartment of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dire Dawa University, Dire Dawa, Eastern EthiopiaDepartment of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dire Dawa University, Dire Dawa, Eastern EthiopiaDepartment of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dire Dawa University, Dire Dawa, Eastern EthiopiaBackground: Human immune virus (HIV) remains a major cause of death in children and women worldwide. Women’s desire to have children in the future has significant implications for the transmission of the human immune deficiency virus to sexual partners and newborns. People living with HIV desire to have children, and counseling by their healthcare providers plays a critical role in ensuring planned pregnancies and minimizing mother-to-child transmission. However, in many settings, a large majority of HIV-positive women who desire more children do not discuss reproductive health and childbearing with their healthcare providers. The objective of this study was to assess fertility desire and associated factors among reproductive age women living with a HIV attending antiretroviral therapy (ART) in public hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted on November 01–30, 2022 among 598 reproductive age women attending ART clinics in public hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select the participants. Data were collected from five female nurses through face-to-face interviews using a structured and pre-tested questionnaire. Data were entered into Epi-Data 3.1 and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 24. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. Variables with a p -value <0.25 in bivariate analysis were included in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. Variables associated with desire for fertility were declared at p -value <0.05, with adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: This study showed that 42.0% (95% CI: 31.7%–52.28%) of women had a desire for fertility. Women aged (15–24) (AOR = 2.52, 95% CI: 1.58–3.50), married women (AOR = 3.21, 95% CI 1.42–5.11), having no children (AOR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.51–2.52), and desire to have children (AOR = 2.98, 95% CI: 1.84–4.12) were significantly associated with desire for fertility. Conclusion: This study revealed that a significant proportion of women desire fertility despite their positive status. Moreover, being young, married, having no child, and having a partner’s desire to have children were factors associated with the desire for fertility.https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057251320481
spellingShingle Legesse Abera
Betelhem Mengistu
Mickiale Hailu
Mawerdi Adem
Daniel Tadesse
Fertility desire and associated factors among reproductive age women attending antiretroviral therapy at public hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia
Women's Health
title Fertility desire and associated factors among reproductive age women attending antiretroviral therapy at public hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia
title_full Fertility desire and associated factors among reproductive age women attending antiretroviral therapy at public hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia
title_fullStr Fertility desire and associated factors among reproductive age women attending antiretroviral therapy at public hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed Fertility desire and associated factors among reproductive age women attending antiretroviral therapy at public hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia
title_short Fertility desire and associated factors among reproductive age women attending antiretroviral therapy at public hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia
title_sort fertility desire and associated factors among reproductive age women attending antiretroviral therapy at public hospitals in eastern ethiopia
url https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057251320481
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AT mawerdiadem fertilitydesireandassociatedfactorsamongreproductiveagewomenattendingantiretroviraltherapyatpublichospitalsineasternethiopia
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