• Integrated services

Integrated services

This paper examines the integration of family planning (FP) services with HIV and AIDS services (voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), prevention of mother-to-child-transmission (PMTCT) and anti-retroviral therapy (ART)) in Uganda. The paper finds that: FP service integration is more evident in VCT and PMTCT settings where counselling, provision of contraceptive methods other than condoms, and information is available in varying degrees. Implementation of integrated services remains a challenge because under the public healthcare system, FP and VCT services are controlled by different divisions within the Ministry of Health.

The paper also finds that overwhelmingly, people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) reported a need for FP but were reluctant to access these services outside HIV/AIDS centres because they fear stigma and discrimination. Policymakers and providers were also supportive of integration as a means to cut costs and reduce duplication of services. The authors make several recommendations for improving integration. These include: policymakers should be sensitised to the desire among PLWHA to access contraception; policy on and implementation of HIV/AIDS and FP services need to be harmonised to enhance joint planning and inter-service coordination; FP providers need to be sensitised to serving HIV-positive clients without judgement.

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