Integration of family planning services with HIV treatment for women of reproductive age attending ART clinic in Oromia regional state, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background

In settings where HIV prevalence is high, management of sexual and reproductive health is critical to reducing HIV transmission and maternal mortality. Integration of family planning with HIV services is appropriate for HIV therapy, HIV prevention, and care in a resource-limited country s like Ethiopia. The study aimed at examining the status of integration of family planning services with HIV treatment and factors associated with successful integration of family planning and HIV services for women of reproductive age in Oromia, Ethiopia for better health outcomes.

Methods

The research design of this study was a quantitative survey, non-experimental, explorative and descriptive. A questionnaire was used to collect data from women living with HIV attending ART clinics in the special zone of surrounding Finfinne, Oromia Region in five health centers. Simple random sampling was used to select 654 respondents. Data was analysed through the use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23.0. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to identify factors associated integration of family planning with HIV services with the significant association at an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) to controlled effects of possible confounders from the final model.

Result

The response rate of this study was 97.6% (654/670). The ages of those who responded to the administered questionnaires ranged between 18 and 49 years. The mean age of the respondents was 31.86 years with an SD of ± 6.0 years. Most of the respondents in the sample were in the age group 26–35 (n = 374, 57%), and only 96 (14.7%) were in the age group 18–25. This overall integration of FP-HIV services among reproductive-age women living with HIV in Oromia regional state of special zone health centers was found to be 55.8%. Almost all respondents (n = 635, 97.1%) preferred integrated family planning and HIV services from the same facility and the same providers. the study found that 622 (95%) were most satisfied with the utilization of integrated family planning/HIV services.

Conclusion

This study established that in overall, the integration of family planning/HIV services was relatively moderate among women of reproductive age living HIV. The identified factors that affected the integration of family planning with HIV services were the level of education, occupational status, residence, discussion of family planning with healthcare providers, fertility desire and CD4 counts.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12978-021-01157-0.

Plain language summary

These study findings are strongly in favour of integrated services offering multiple health services at the same facility by the same provider. Service integration based on the needs of women of reproductive age was found to be necessary in public health facilities where people have access only to primary healthcare facilities.

Integrated family planning with HIV (FP-HIV) services contribute to women’s wellbeing by addressing a wide range of health needs and offering convenience of receiving multiple services a single visit. Integrated FP-HIV services further address women’s vulnerability to other sexual reproductive health problems.

Integrated FP-HIV services should contribute to comprehensive national family planning programs to enable the provision of full access to a variety of contraceptive methods. The latter should enable couples and individuals to obtain services at a one-stop supermarket to achieve optimal reproductive and sexual health to meet their needs.

The findings from study generated adequate knowledge and equipped managers with skills integrating family planning with HIV services among women of reproductive age in Oromia regional state, Ethiopia.

The study’s findings have emphasized the urgent need to fully implement action focusing on integrating family planning/HIV services for women of reproductive age living HIV and attending ART clinics. The study prioritized the need to strengthen the capacity of health centers to provide quality FP-HIV.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12978-021-01157-0.