HIV & AIDS Review. International Journal of HIV-Related Problems · Published 2025-05-05 · DOI 10.5114/hivar/157006
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has affected health and well-being of people throughout the world. Considering the complicated physical and mental problems of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive pregnant women, the aim of this study was to describe the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs and concerns of these women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods This qualitative study was conducted with a content analysis approach to examine the SRH needs and worries of HIV-positive pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 15 HIV-positive women participated in this study, including seven women with a history of pregnancy and eight women currently pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting to Behavioral Diseases Counseling Center of Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex. In total, in-depth, 17 semi-structured, individual interviews were employed to collect data. Purposeful sampling was used with maximum diversity, and continued until reaching data saturation. Results Content analysis of interviews was performed according to steps proposed by Zhang and Wildemuth, and resulted in three main categories and eight sub-categories. Main categories included increased fear of death, concern about the effect of COVID-19 on the fetus, and issues and problems in accessing appropriate prenatal services. Conclusions The findings of the present study can help health planners implement more effective interventions to support and care of HIV-positive pregnant women during outbreaks, such as COVID-19 or similar health crises.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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