Anna Żakowicz European Aids Treatment Group Vienna 2010

PREGNANCY PLANNING REPRODUCTIVE OPTIONS FOR PLWHA IN LITHUANIAVULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT OFPEOPLE LIVING WITHHIV IN LITHUANIA

Anna ŻakowiczEuropean Aids Treatment Group Vienna 2010

Epidemic in Lithuania

Individual Interviews

It was during childbirth here, they started to shout at me that …, that how could I not look after myself and that I was using drugs while pregnant... I explained that I could not stop using them because they did not let me in the AIDS Centre. They just instructed me to reduce the dose so that the child would not have convulsions once born... How can one do that... They started to shout because of the operation room, that the operation room would have to be disinfected now... We have not had similar cases before... they treated me in a very rude way...

Individual Interviews

There was a noise. She opened the door and started to shout, “This is not your first childbirth? Who can give birth to children with such test results? Infected with HIV!” And so loud…

I am asking doctor, “Why are you shouting, there is a queue waiting outside the door?”

And she [said] - “Why shouldn’t I shout? What are you thinking, giving birth to sick children?” That’s what it was like.

Needs for pregnancy planning for PLWHA Safe and supportive

environment for women who are HIV+, IDUs sex workers who are and who want to get pregnant

More doctors who treat PLWHA More gyneacologists taking

care of HIV+ women HIV educated young doctors Hospital ward for PLWHA Reduce stigma because of HIV,

IDU and sex work Pregnancy counselling at the

NGO level Self-support groups for

women

Needs for pregnancy planning for PLWHA Community involvement in

planning of the services for HIV+ women

Community involvement in development of the services

Quality information about HIV, reproduction and pregnancy in the medical and counselling settings

Assisted Reproduction techniqueswell-known to gyneacologists

Political commitment

Anna [email protected]

Thank you