"It is a Joy to Have a Child, I Can't Even Describe It": Aspirations and Concerns of Young Women Living with Hiv

The importance of having children cannot be underestimated and it seems that not even a life threatening condition will stop this. The availability of Antiretroviral (ARVs) that delay HIV progression and improve quality of life of HIV infected individuals and the roll-out of prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) have brought renewed hope among many couples and individuals in South Africa. The narratives in this book point to the urgency to provide focused and holistic counseling and services for women of reproductive ages in South Africa. There is a need to allay concerns and for more accessible ways of enabling women living with HIV to have babies with less anxieties around transmission, childbirth, recovery post-partum and long term family plans, especially in resource-constrained settings. Information should also be easily available for HIV-positive women regarding drugs interaction, a range of family planning methods, access to termination of pregnancy and adoption.