Sexual and reproductive health needs and concerns of Iranian HIV-positive pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic

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.