Sterilization in HIV Infected Women in Thailand

Camille Lallemant, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Sophie Le Coeur, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED)
Marc Lallemant, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of sterilization in HIV infected post-partum women in Thailand and explore its determinants. Methods: Data collected within a clinical trial of perinatal HIV prevention (PHPT-2) included: Mother's and partner's socio-demographic characteristics, reproductive history, whether the current pregnancy was planned, previous knowledge of HIV status, baseline clinical and biological status (CD4 count and viral load), and contraceptive use 6 weeks after delivery. To explore the factors independently associated with sterilization, a logistic regression model was performed. Results: The prevalence of sterilization was 56.3%. Variables independently associated with sterilization were: region (p=0.000), having at least one living child (p=0.000), previous child death (p=0.018) and knowledge of HIV status prior to pregnancy (p=0.000). Conclusions: Because of their vulnerability, specific attention should be given to HIV infected women to ensure their understanding of the implications of sterilization, access to other contraceptive methods, and to antiretroviral treatments.