HIV/AIDS Research Idea - Maria de Bruyn

At the last CAB meeting, we were asked if we had any suggestions for research topics that UNC staff could take on in relation to HIV/AIDS. One area in which almost no research has been done is unwanted pregnancy and how to deal with this for women living with HIV.

Some beginning research on reproductive choice is now showing that, while many HIV-positive women – particularly if they are younger, have a new partner and/or don’t have (m)any children – do want to become pregnant. However, significant numbers of women living with HIV also do not want more children and they may face numerous obstacles regarding termination of unwanted pregnancies. Research on this area and on the effects of unsafe abortion on HIV-positive women’s wellbeing would be a wide-open area for the CFAR.

Topics that could be included:

Clinical service provision

• Unsafe abortion: severity of complications, best treatments
• Reproductive & abortion counselling: message content before and after procedures; specific needs of HIV-positive women; incorporation of reproductive rights
• Abortion methods: comparative efficacy & sequelae among women living with HIV
• Abortion methods: possible special needs (e.g., regarding anaemia, infection prevention, interactions of medication abortion drugs and ARVs)
  

Social science and policy research

• How HIV-positive women cope with unwanted pregnancy
  Social, legal and health-service obstacles to HIV-positive women accessing safe non-discriminatory abortion care and postabortion care
• Social, legal, institutional and funding obstacles to linking HIV/AIDS services and abortion-related care
• Methods, effectiveness and impact of linking HIV/AIDS services and abortion-related care
• Women’s experiences with abortion-related care (especially related to stigma and discrimination)
• Effectiveness & impact of advocacy & policy capacity-building in helping people living with HIV/AIDS enjoy complete reproductive rights.