“HIV is not the Whole in Our Relationship”: The Influence of HIV-Positive Black Women's Sexual Partners on their Pregnancy Intentions in the Post-HAART Era

Black women of childbearing age residing in the Southeastern United States are disproportionately impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The post-HAART era has not only increased the quantity and quality of life for HIV-positive persons, but has subsequently provided women who adhere strictly to recommended drug regimens with viable and relatively safe reproduction possibilities. The overall goal of this study was to explore the manner in which specific characteristics of the sexual partnership impact HIV-positive women's pregnancy intentions. This study employed a qualitative research design through which forty-two (N=42) HIV-positive Black women of childbearing age were invited to complete face-to-face in-depth interviews. Women were recruited from clinics and AIDS Service Organizations in South Carolina. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analyzed separately by two coders utilizing NVivo 8 software. Several major themes emerged including: (1) women's pregnancy intentions minimally influenced by the HIV serostatus of their sexual partners; (2) women's pregnancy intentions minimally influenced by their partner's desire to have children; (3) low HIV risk perceptions exhibited by sexual partners with a negative or unknown status; and (4) a lack of willingness among men in serodiscordant partnerships to explore alternative methods for conception. Study findings lend support for increasing the accessibility and availability of integrated HIV care and reproductive services to HIV-positive women to provide them with the information needed to balance their pregnancy desires and to minimize transmission risks to their infants and partners. Further research is needed to increase our understanding of men in serodiscordant partnerships with HIV-positive women.