About this Research Topic
Unmet need for family planning remains high among women and girls living with HIV. Previous studies have estimated that among women living with HIV (WLHIV) in low and middle-income settings, over half of the 1.5 million annual pregnancies are unintended. Unmet need for contraception is highest among the most vulnerable, including adolescent girls and young women, women and girls postpartum, and key population groups, including female sex workers. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened existing challenges in women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health care.
Family planning helps couples avoid unintended pregnancies, reduces the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and decreases morbidity and mortality related to unintended pregnancy. For women and girls living with HIV (WLHIV), family planning also reduces mother-to-child transmission of HIV by preventing unintended pregnancies and enabling the planning and safer conception of desired pregnancies. To improve access to family planning for WLHIV, WHO recommends the integration of family planning services into HIV care settings.
Integration of HIV and family planning care is an important strategy for meeting the sexual and reproductive health and rights of WLHIV and provides the opportunity to address HIV and unwanted pregnancies simultaneously. WLHIV have health needs beyond HIV and providing person-centered care means addressing other health needs, including the provision of family planning and other sexual and reproductive health services. Strengthening access to and use of contraception, including the highly effective, longer-acting methods, is a key strategy for improving health and well-being outcomes of WLHIV and for preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission.
Models that integrate family planning with HIV care leverage the continuity of HIV care as an opportunity to reach WLHIV to meet their family planning needs. As much as possible, family planning and HIV care should be provided at the same time, in the same place and, where appropriate and possible, by the same provider.
This Research Topic will focus on the integration of FP services into HIV care and treatment.
We welcome a broad range of contributions including Original Research articles, Reviews, Commentaries, Study Protocol and Systematic Reviews.
Please note that Frontiers also offers a Fee Support Program, available to any authors seeking financial support. If you would like any further information about this, please get in touch with the Editorial Office at globalwomenshealth@frontiersin.org.
Family planning helps couples avoid unintended pregnancies, reduces the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and decreases morbidity and mortality related to unintended pregnancy. For women and girls living with HIV (WLHIV), family planning also reduces mother-to-child transmission of HIV by preventing unintended pregnancies and enabling the planning and safer conception of desired pregnancies. To improve access to family planning for WLHIV, WHO recommends the integration of family planning services into HIV care settings.
Integration of HIV and family planning care is an important strategy for meeting the sexual and reproductive health and rights of WLHIV and provides the opportunity to address HIV and unwanted pregnancies simultaneously. WLHIV have health needs beyond HIV and providing person-centered care means addressing other health needs, including the provision of family planning and other sexual and reproductive health services. Strengthening access to and use of contraception, including the highly effective, longer-acting methods, is a key strategy for improving health and well-being outcomes of WLHIV and for preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission.
Models that integrate family planning with HIV care leverage the continuity of HIV care as an opportunity to reach WLHIV to meet their family planning needs. As much as possible, family planning and HIV care should be provided at the same time, in the same place and, where appropriate and possible, by the same provider.
This Research Topic will focus on the integration of FP services into HIV care and treatment.
We welcome a broad range of contributions including Original Research articles, Reviews, Commentaries, Study Protocol and Systematic Reviews.
Please note that Frontiers also offers a Fee Support Program, available to any authors seeking financial support. If you would like any further information about this, please get in touch with the Editorial Office at globalwomenshealth@frontiersin.org.
Keywords: HIV, ART, Contraception, Family Planning
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
