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FERTILITY AMONG HIV-INFECTED INDIAN WOMEN: THE BIOLOGICAL EFFECT AND ITS IMPLICATIONS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 October 2010

SHRINIVAS DARAK ,
FANNY JANSSEN  and
INGE HUTTER
SHRINIVAS DARAK
Affiliation:
Population Research Centre, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
FANNY JANSSEN
Affiliation:
Population Research Centre, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
INGE HUTTER
Affiliation:
Population Research Centre, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
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Summary

In India, nearly one million women of childbearing age are infected with HIV. This study sought to examine the biological effect of HIV on the fertility of HIV-infected Indian women. This is relevant for the provision of pregnancy-related counselling and care to the infected women, and for estimating the HIV prevalence among women and children. The study used retrospectively collected data from the National Family Health Survey (2005–2006) and applied a matched case control study design to compare the effect of HIV on conception, pregnancy rates and pregnancy outcomes among HIV-infected (N=69) and HIV-non-infected (N=345) women, both unaware of their HIV status. Pregnancy rates and pregnancy outcomes were compared through non-parametric statistical tests, whereas the effect of HIV on fecundity was studied by analysing the interval between last two pregnancies using Cox regression. The pregnancy rate was observed to be lower among HIV-infected than HIV-non-infected women (RR=0.77). The difference, however, was not statistically significant (p=0.064). There was also no statistically significant difference in the interval between last two pregnancies (p=0.898). Significantly higher number of pregnancies among HIV-infected women resulted in termination because of miscarriage or stillbirths (p=0.004). Therefore, while providing clinical care and counselling to infected women, the possibility of adverse pregnancy outcomes should be considered. Due to the higher rate of adverse pregnancy outcomes, attendance of HIV-infected women at antenatal clinics might be greater, which could lead to overestimation of HIV prevalence derived from antenatal care surveillance sites.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 43 , Issue 1 , January 2011 , pp. 19 - 29
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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