Sponsor
The study was funded by National institutes of health R21HD069194 PI AK, K23MH095655 PI LTM, R01MH054907 PI DRB, P30AI027763, U01CA066529, K24MH87227 PI DRB, K23MH099916 PI CP, R01MH087328 PI DRB; D43TW010128; and the Sullivan Family Foundation.
Published In
PLoS ONE
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-1-2017
Subjects
HIV infections -- Uganda -- Psychological aspects, HIV infections -- Uganda -- Social aspects, HIV-positive women -- Services for -- Uganda, Communicable diseases in pregnancy, Maternal health services -- Uganda
Abstract
The complexities of navigating pregnancy while living with HIV predispose women to additional stress. Finding ways to minimize psychosocial challenges during the perinatal period may maximize the well-being of mothers living with HIV and their children. The goal of this study was to explore psychosocial challenges experienced by women living with HIV (WLWH) during pregnancy and the postpartum.
We conducted individual in-depth interviews with 20 WLWH recruited from an HIV treatment cohort study in Mbarara, Uganda as part of a larger study exploring perinatal depression. We conducted content analyses to identify themes related to challenges of WLWH during pregnancy and the postpartum. Participants had a median age of 33 years [IQR: 28± 35], a median of 3 living children [IQR: 2±5], and 95% had achieved HIV-RNA suppression. Challenges were organized around the following themes: HIV -related stigma from health professionals, HIV status disclosure dilemma, unintended pregnancy and intimate partner violence, HIV and environmental structural barriers and distress and fear related to maternal and child health. Stigma centered on discrimination by health care professionals and personal shame associated with being pregnant as a WLWH. This led to difficulty engaging in HIV care, particularly when coupled with structural barriers, such as lack of transportation to clinic. Participants experienced intimate partner violence and lacked support from their partners and family members. Distress and fear about the health and uncertainty about the future of the unborn baby due to maternal deteriorating physical health was common. The perinatal period is a time of stress for WLWH. Challenges experienced by WLWH may compromise successful engagement in HIV care and may reduce quality of life for women and their children. Strategies aimed at alleviating the challenges of WLWH should involve the larger structural environment including partners, family and community member as well as policy makers, funders and program implementers to work together for the common cause. These consolidated efforts may not only lower the risk of psychological distress but has potential to create long lasting solutions to benefit the wider community.
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0176256
Persistent Identifier
http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/20298
Citation Details
Ashaba, S., Kaida, A., Coleman, J. N., Burns, B. F., Dunkley, E., O’Neil, K., ... & Matthews, L. T. (2017). Psychosocial challenges facing women living with HIV during the perinatal period in rural Uganda. PloS one, 12(5), e0176256.
Description
Copyright: © 2017 Ashaba et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.