Family Planning Perspectives
Volume 33, Number 4, July/August 2001

 

Fertility Desires and Intentions of HIV-Positive Men and Women
TABLES

Table 1. Percentage distribution of HIV-positive men and women, by fertility desires and expectations
Characteristic Men Women p
(N=53,177) (N=34,833)
FERTILITY DESIRES .72
Desires children in the future
Yes 28 29  
No 70 69  
Do not know 0 1  
Response missing 1 1  
FERTILITY EXPECTATIONS
No. of children expected* .001
0 41 31  
1 24 56  
>=2 35 13  
Partner would like to have child† .0007
Yes 33 46  
No 65 45  
Do not know 2 5  
Response missing 0 4  
Likelihood of having abortion if pregnant‡ na
Definitely would na 31  
Probably would/50% chance/probably would not na 30  
Definitely would not§ na 37  
Do not know na 2  
Response missing na 1  
Total 100 100  
*Among those desiring children. †Asked only of respondents who were currently married or with a heterosexual partner. (Unweighted sample sizes were 182 males and 255 females; weighted sample sizes were 27,885 males and 23,167 females.) ‡Asked only of female respondents. §Includes those who were trying to become pregnant. Notes: Ns shown represent weighted sample sizes. The unweighted sample sizes are 361 males and 377 females. na=not applicable, either because it was not asked or because category was excluded as a result of sample restrictions.

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Table 2. Percentage distribution of study participants and mean values, by selected characteristics, according to sex
Characteristic Men Women p
(N=53,177) (N=34,833)
Age .0000
20-29 3 16  
30-34 8 26  
35-39 20 32  
40-44 20 26  
>=45 49 na  
Race/ethnicity .4317
Non-Hispanic white 33 28  
Non-Hispanic black 51 52  
Hispanic/Latino 14 18  
Other 2 3  
No. of children .4593
0 27 24  
1 19 24  
2 21 19  
>=3 33 34  
Education .0013
Some high school 32 42  
High school graduate 33 32  
Some college 25 23  
College graduate 11 3  
Currently employed .9253
Yes 27 27  
No 73 73  
Annual income .1179
<$5,000 23 28  
$5,001-10,000 31 34  
$10,001-25,000 26 27  
>$25,000 20 11  
HIV risk group .0001
Heterosexual contact 25 60  
Injection drug use 41 25  
Bisexual contact 22 na  
Other 12 15  
Characteristic Men Women p
(N=53,177) (N=34,833)
Sexual orientation .0000
Straight/heterosexual 81 92  
Lesbian na 3  
Bisexual 19 4  
Other na 1  
Mean health ratings
Overall health 73.0 73.3 .8684
Physical functioning 79.9 82.7 .0958
Emotional well-being 66.7 64.8 .3546
Lowest CD4+ count ever .1579
0-49/mm3 27 21  
50-199/mm3 33 30  
200-499/mm3 34 43  
>=500/mm3 6 6  
Viral load .0128
Detectable 39 49  
Undetectable 27 18  
Do not know 6 4  
Response missing 27 29  
Relationship status .0000
Married 29 19  
Nonmarried partner 29 51
Separated/divorced 18 7  
Widowed/never-married 24 23  
HIV status of primary partner/spouse* .8407
Positive 26 27  
Negative 52 54  
Unknown 22 20  
Importance of religion .0081
Very 52 65  
Somewhat 33 28  
Not very 9 2  
Not at all 6 5  
Total 100 100  
*Includes only respondents who had a primary partner or spouse. (unweighted sample size is 250 males and 305 females; weighted sample representes 37,497 males and 27,476 females.) Notes: Ns shown represent weighted sample sizes. The unweighted sample sizes are 361 males and 377 females. na=not applicable, either because it was not asked or because categorty was excluded as a result of sample restrictions.

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Table 3. Percentage distribution of HIV-positive women and U.S. women overall, by total number of births expected, according to age
Age HIV-positive* All† Total
0 1 >=2 0 1 >=2
20-29 10 25 64 6 13 81 100
30-34 15 20 65 8 16 76 100
35-39 18 23 59 11 16 73 100
40-44 16 28 57 15 17 68 100
*From the Risk and Prevention Sample of the HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study. Total number of births expected is the sum of the number of children ever born and the number of births expected in the future. †From the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). Total births expected is the sum of the number of children ever born and the additional number of births expected. Notes: Weighted Ns are 34,833 for HIV-positive women and 44,578 for NSFG respondents. Some percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

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Table 4. Percentage distribution of study participants and mean values, by selected characteristics, according to sex and desire for children in the future
Characteristic Men Women
Do not desire children Desire children p Do not desire children Desire children p
(N=37,295) (N=15,115 (N=23,953) (N=10,235)
Partner would like to have child* .0000   .0000
Yes 17 75   27 78  
No 82 19   69 6  
Do not know 1 5   4 7  
Response missing 0 0   0 8  
Likelihood of having abortion if pregnant na   .0000
Definitely would na na   42 8  
Probably would/50% chance probably would not na na   30 30  
Definitely would not† na na   27 59  
Do not know na na   1 2  
Woman has had/partner has had tubal ligation‡ .3190   .0367
Yes 12 17   40 22  
No 77 78   57 71  
Do not know 5 0   0 0  
Response missing 6 5   3 7  
No. of children .0804   .0020
0 22 38   17 37  
1 18 22   23 24  
2 23 16   20 19  
>=3 37 24   39 20  
Age .0002   .0014
20-29 2 5   11 27  
30-34 5 14   24 30  
35-39 15 33   34 28  
40-44 20 19   31 15  
>=45 58 29   na na  
Race/ethnicity .6957   .2087
Non-Hispanic white 33 32   24 35  
Non-Hispanic black 51 51   54 47  
Hispanic/Latino 14 16   19 16  
Other 3 1   3 2  
Education .4365   .4972
Some high school 33 28   41 47  
High school graduate 32 34   34 24  
Some college 27 21   22 26  
College graduate 8 16   3 2  
Currently employed .6003   .2704
Yes 26 29   24 30  
No 74 71   76 70  
Annual income .7882   .4205
<$5,000 24 23   29 27  
$5,001-10,000 31 29   36 29  
$10,001-25,000 23 29   26 28  
>$25,000 21 20   9 16  
Characteristic Men Women
Do not desire Desire childre p Do not desire Desire childre p
(N=37,295) 15,115) (N=23,953) 10,235)
HIV risk group .3357   .1366
Heterosexual contact 26 24   58 63  
Injection drug use 40 43   28 19  
Bisexual contact 20 26   na na  
Other 14 8   14 18  
Sexual orientation .4133   .1323
Straight/heterosexual 82 77   90 96  
Lesbian na na   4 1  
Bisexual 18 23   5 3  
Other 0 0   1 0  
Mean health ratings
Overall health 72.6 74.5 .4496 70.2 80.5 .0002
Physical functioning 78.1 84.0 .0258 82.6 83.1 .8221
Emotional well-being 66.7 67.1 .8542 64.1 67.1 .2042
Lowest CD4+ count ever .1019   .4783
0-49/mm3 28 23   24 17  
50-199/mm3 36 27   29 32  
200-499/mm3 30 45   42 44  
>=500/mm3 6 5   5 7  
Viral load .6369   .2194
Detectable 38 45   54 39  
Undetectable 27 28   16 23  
Do not know 6 5   3 5  
Response missing 29 22   27 33  
Relationship status .1171   .0042
Married 30 25   15 29  
Nonmarried partner 29 32   49 55  
Separated/divorced 21 12   8 4  
Widowed/never-married 20 31   27 12  
HIV status of primary partner/spouse§ .4765   .0197
Positive 28 21   28 22  
Negative 53 52   58 46  
Unknown 19 27   14 32  
Importance of religion .2448   .0869
Very 49 58   68 62  
Somewhat 36 27   28 28  
Not very 8 10   2 2  
Not at all 7 4   2 9  
Total 100 100   100 100  
*Includes only respondents who were currently married or had a heterosexual partner. (Unweighted sample size is 181 males and 247 females; weighted sample represents 27,687 males and 22,691 females.) †Includes those who were trying to become pregnant. ‡ Among respondents who had sex with an opposite-sex partner within the last six months. (Unweighted sample size is 172 males and 243 females; weighted sample represents 25,645 males and 22,744 females.) §Among respondents who had a primary partner or spouse. (Unweighted sample size is 247 males and 296 females; weighted sample represents 36,923 males and 26,832 females.) Notes: Ns shown represent weighted sample sizes. The unweighted sample sizes are 107 males and 109 females who desire children and 249 males and 259 females who do not desire children. na=not applicable, either because it was not asked or because category was excluded as a result of sample restrictions.

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Table 5. Percentage distribution of respondents who desired more children, by selected characteristics, according to sex and whether they expect to have children in the future
Characteristic Men Women
Expect no children Expect >=1 children p Expectno children Expect >=1 children p
(N=6,168) (N=8,946) (N=3,188) (N=7,047)
Age    .3510    .1258
20-29 3 6   19 31  
30-34 10 16   19 35  
35-39 26 38   42 21  
40-44 20 19   19 13  
>=45 41 21   na na  
Race/ethnicity    .0795    .3684
Non-Hispanic white 46 23   48 28  
Non-Hispanic black 38 59   36 52  
Hispanic/Latino 14 18   15 17  
Other 2 0   0 3  
Has children     .2142     .3229
No 28 46   30 41  
Yes 72 54   70 59  
Lowest CD4+ count ever     .0383     .9030
0-49/mm3 40 12   15 18  
50-199/mm3 33 23   38 30  
200-499/mm3 23 59   41 45  
>=500/mm3 4 6   7 8  
Viral load     .9269     .1633
Detectable 43 46   47 35  
Undetectable 28 27   29 20  
Do not know 7 4   8 4  
Response missing 22 22   15 41  
Relationship status     .1765     .8447
Married 33 20   35 26  
Nonmarried partner 27 34   49 58  
Separated/divorced 19 7   5 4  
Widowed/never-married 20 39   11 12  
HIV risk group     .4343     .3988
Heterosexual contact 29 21   72 59  
Injection drug use 47 40   12 23  
Bisexual contact 18 30   na na  
Other 6 9   16 19  
HIV status of primary partner/spouse*     .5212     .1798
Positive 17 24   19 24  
Negative 59 46   36 51  
Unknown 23 30   45 25  
Woman has had/partner has had tubal ligation†     .6789     .2254
Yes 21 14   30 18  
No 77 79   68 72  
Response missing 3 7   2 9  
Total 100 100   100 100  
*Includes only respondents who had a primary partner or spouse. (Unweighted sample size is 78 males and 97 females; weighted sample represents 11,213 males and 9,427 females.) †Includes only respondents who had had sex with an opposite-sex partner within the last six months. (Unweighted sample size is 56 males and 83 females; weighted sample represents 8,015 males and 7,941 females.) Notes: Ns shown represent weighted sample sizes. The unweighted sample sizes are 42 males and 32 females who expect to have no children and 65 males and 77 females who expect to have at least one child. na=not applicable, either because it was not asked or because category was excluded as a result of sample restrictions.

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