Pregnancy Intentions among HIV Positive Black Women in South Carolina: A Mixed-Me

描述（由申请人提供）：与其他美国人相比，居住在美国的黑人妇女代表了新感染艾滋病毒的大多数。1,8,9与全国差异一致，南卡罗来纳州（SC）黑人妇女占妇女累计艾滋病毒/艾滋病病例总数的83.3%；SC感染HIV的妇女以育龄妇女居多例如，南苏丹约有5,211名妇女感染艾滋病毒/艾滋病，其中4,620名妇女处于育龄（15-49岁）。随着育龄妇女成为艾滋病流行的更大组成部分，了解影响其怀孕意图的因素，如伴侣的艾滋病毒血清状况，对于制定相关的公共卫生教育干预措施以减少其伴侣和婴儿感染艾滋病毒的风险至关重要。拟议的研究将采用混合方法顺序解释性研究设计，分为两个不同的阶段：第一阶段（定量）和第二阶段（定性）。在第一阶段，将通过参与的SC诊所之一招募符合指定标准的284名妇女，完成由访谈者管理的横断面调查。在第二阶段，将从定量样本中招募约28名（n=28）女性进行面对面的深度访谈，进一步探讨与怀孕意图相关的因素以及伴侣对女性怀孕决定的影响。在完成定性访谈后，研究小组将开会整合定量和定性阶段的结果，以解决先前确定的研究问题。该研究与疾病控制和预防中心（CDC）推进艾滋病毒预防倡议（AHPI）的两个战略直接一致，该战略旨在通过重点减少围产期艾滋病毒传播和减少艾滋病毒血清不一致夫妇之间的艾滋病毒传播来进一步降低艾滋病毒发病率。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Compared to other Americans, Black women residing in the United States represent the majority of new HIV infections. 1, 8, 9 Consistent with the national disparity, Black women in South Carolina (SC) represent 83.3% of the total cumulative HIV/AIDS cases among women; and most women infected with HIV in SC are of childbearing age.2 For instance, of the approximated 5,211 cases of women living with HIV/AIDS in SC, 4,620 women are of reproductive age (ages 15-49). As women of childbearing age become a larger part of the epidemic, understanding factors that influence their pregnancy intentions, such as the HIV serostatus of the partner, is critical to the development of relevant public health educational interventions to decrease HIV transmission risks to their partners and infants. The proposed study will employ a mixed-methods sequential explanatory research design in two distinct phases: phase one (quantitative) and phase two (qualitative). In phase one, two hundred eighty four (n=284) women meeting the specified criteria will be recruited through one of the participating SC clinics to complete a cross-sectional survey which will be interviewer-administered. In phase two, an estimated subset of twenty-eight (n=28) women will be recruited from the quantitative sample to participate in face-to-face in-depth interviews to further explore factors related to pregnancy intentions and the influence of partners on women's decisions to become pregnant. Following the completion of the qualitative interviews, the research team will meet to integrate results from both the quantitative and qualitative phases to address the previously established research questions. The study is directly aligned with two of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advancing HIV Prevention's Initiative (AHPI) strategies which aim to further reduce HIV incidence by focusing on decreasing perinatal HIV transmission and reducing HIV transmission among HIV serodiscordant couples. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Public Health Relevance Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been instrumental in improving the quality and quantity of life for persons living with HIV and AIDS; and as individuals live longer, healthier lives, ART presents new possibilities for women who desire to reproduce. However, in the absence of assistant reproductive technologies (i.e. invitro fertilization, sperm washing, etc) which are not typically accessible for underserved populations, the process of conception and pregnancy for HIV positive women poses increased risks of transmission to women's partners (if uninfected) and infants. Thus, understanding factors that might influence a woman's decision to become pregnant such as the HIV serostatus of the partner, may lead to the development of appropriate public health educational interventions to decrease HIV transmission risks to their partners and infants.