Adding Family Planning to PMTCT Sites Increases the Benefits of PMTCT

A recent USAID-funded analysis examined the costs and benefits of adding family planning services to programs for the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). The findings suggest that adding family planning to PMTCT sites can save the lives of thousands of women and children and significantly reduce the number of orphans.

High levels of HIV prevalence among women of childbearing age in many parts of the world carry a triple tragedy. Not only do these women face the prospect of discrimination, illness and early death, but they may also pass the HIV infection to their children or leave their children behind as orphans when they die. USAID and other donors are rapidly expanding programs to prevent adult HIV infections (through behavior change communication, voluntary counseling and testing, etc.) and to improve treatment for those already infected. USAID is also expanding PMTCT programs globally through our field missions and within the 14 countries in President Bush’s International Mother and Child HIV Prevention Initiative.

Family planning can help HIV/AIDS efforts by providing HIV+ couples with an opportunity to prevent unintended pregnancies and to prevent future children from becoming HIV-infected or orphaned. Family planning has many other benefits as well for both HIV+ and HIV- mothers. For example, birth spacing can significantly reduce child and maternal mortality rates, saving many lives.

For details see full report: Costs and Benefits of Adding Family Planning to Services to Prevent Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT: How Family Planning can Increase the Benefits of PMTCT by saving lives and reducing the number of orphans by John Stover, Nomi Fuchs, Daniel Halperin, Amanda Gibbons and Duff Gillespie.

Prepared June 2004