Background: People
Living with HIV (PLHIV) are highly stigmatized and consequently hard-to-access
by researchers and importantly, public health outreach in Iran, possibly due to
the existing socio-cultural situation in this country. The present study aimed
to evaluate the sexual and reproductive health needs of PLHIV in Tehran, the
capital of Iran.
Methods: As a
mixed-method descriptive study, this project was conducted in 2012 in Tehran,
Iran. In this study, we evaluated and discussed socio-demographic
characteristics, family and social support, sexual behaviors, fertility desires
and needs, PMTCT services, contraceptive methods, unintended pregnancy and safe
abortion, and Pap smear tests among 400 participants referring to the
behavioral disorders consulting centers.
Results: Of
the sample 240 (60%) were male and 160 (40%) were female. About 50% of women
and 40% of men were 25-34 years old. More than 60% of men and 96% of women were
married, while more than 50% of the participants had HIV-positive spouses at
the time of study. According to the results, fertility desire was observed
among more than 30% of female and 40% of male participants. Results of the
in-depth interviews indicate that the participants are not satisfied with most
of the existing services offered to address their sexual and reproductive
health needs.
Conclusion: Despite
the availability of services, most of sexual and reproductive health needs of
the PLHIV are overlooked by the health system in Iran. Paying attention to
sexual and reproductive health needs of PLHIV in Iran not only protects their
right to live long and healthy lives, but also may prevent the transmission of
HIV from the patients to others within the community.
Table 1
Socio-demographic characteristics of Iranian HIV-positive people
| Variables | Categories | Men (n= 240) | Women (n= 160) | Total (N= 400) |
| Age | 18-24 | 7 (2.9%) | 22 (13.8%) | 29 (7.3%) |
| 25-34 | 106 (44.2%) | 82 (51.3%) | 188 (47.0%) | |
| 35-44 | 91 (37.9%) | 97 (29.4%) | 138 (43.5%) | |
| >45 | 36 (15.0%) | 9 (5.6%) | 45 (11.3%) | |
| Mean | 36.2 | 32.4 | 34.7 | |
| Median | 35.0 | 31.5 | 34.0 | |
| Education | Uneducated | 7 (2.9%) | 7 (4.4%) | 14 (3.5%) |
| Primary school | 62 (25.8%) | 36 (22.5%) | 98 (24.5%) | |
| Secondary school | 121 (50.4%) | 61 (38.1%) | 182 (45.5%) | |
| High school diploma and pre-university | 44 (18.3%) | 41 (25.6%) | 85 (21.3%) | |
| Higher | 6 (2.5%) | 15 (9.4%) | 21 (5.3%) | |
| Marriage history | Yes | 162 (67.5%) | 154 (96.3%) | 316 (79.2%) |
| No | 78 (32.5%) | 6 (3.8%) | 84 (21.0%) | |
| Marital status | Alive spouse | 130 (80.2%) | 105 (68.2%) | 235 (74.4%) |
| Dead spouse | 2 (1.2%) | 21 (13.6%) | 23 (7.3%) | |
| Divorced | 24 (14.8%) | 19 (12.3%) | 43 (13.6%) | |
| Separated | 6 (3.7%) | 9 (5.6%) | 15 (4.7%) | |
| No answer | 10 (6.2%) | 10 (6.5%) | 20 (6.3%) | |
| Number of family members | 1-2 | 101 (42.1%) | 63 (39.4%) | 164 (41.0%) |
| 3-4 | 99 (41.3%) | 72 (45.0%) | 171 (42.8%) | |
| 5-7 | 40 (16.7%) | 25 (15.6%) | 65 (16.3%) | |
| Median | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | |
| Employment status during the past 7 days | Employed | 151 (62.9%) | 36 (22.6%) | 187 (46.9%) |
| Unemployed | 89 (37.1%) | 123 (77.4%) | 212 (53.1%) | |
| Working status | Worker | 49 (32.5%) | 15 (41.7%) | 64 (34.2%) |
| Self employed | 89 (58.9%) | 11 (30.6%) | 100 (53.5%) | |
| Clerk | 13 (8.6%) | 10 (27.8%) | 23 (12.3%) | |
| Residence place | Tehran (City) | 97 (40.4%) | 88 (55.0%) | 185 (46.3%) |
| Other cities of Tehran province | 123 (51.3%) | 52 (35.5%) | 175 (43.8%) | |
| Other provinces | 20 (8.3%) | 20 (12.5%) | 40 (10.0%) | |
| Residence period | <5 years | 44 (18.3%) | 31 (19.4%) | 75 (18.8%) |
| 5-10 years | 41 (17.1%) | 35 (21.9%) | 76 (19.0%) | |
| >5 years | 155 (64.6%) | 94 (58.8%) | 249 (62.3%) | |
| Mean | 21.0 | 19.7 | 20.5 | |
| Median | 20.0 | 20.0 | 20.0 |
Via: http://ht.ly/RUlK9
By: Saharnaz Nedjat, 1 Babak Moazen, 2 , 3 Farimah Rezaei, 4 Shayesteh Hajizadeh, 5 , 6 ,* Reza Majdzadeh, 1 Hamid Reza Setayesh, 7 Minoo Mohraz, 8 and Mohammad Mehdi Gooya 9
2 Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
3 Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
4 Obstetrics and Gynecologist, Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
5 Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, Nursing and Midwifery School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
6 Department of Maternal and Child Health, Nursing and Midwifery School, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
7 Regional Support Team for the Middle East and North Africa (RST-MENA), Cairo, Egypt.
8 Iranian Research Center for HIV and AIDS, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
9 Centre for Infectious Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran.
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