TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring the Breastfeeding Desires and Decision-Making of Women Living with HIV in the Netherlands
T2 - Implications for Perinatal HIV Management in Developed Countries
AU - Bukkems, Vera E.
AU - Finkenflügel, Renee N. N.
AU - Grintjes, Karin
AU - Marneef, Manon
AU - de Haan, Martine
AU - Mielitz, Inga
AU - van Hulzen, Astrid
AU - Rokx, Casper
AU - van Leeuwen, Elisabeth
AU - Nellen, Jeannine F.
AU - Burger, David M.
AU - Colbers, Angela
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © Vera E. Bukkems et al., 2023; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
PY - 2023/5/1
Y1 - 2023/5/1
N2 - Introduction: Guidelines in high-income countries recommend women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to formula feed their newborns, because the possibility of mother-to-child-transmission of HIV during breastfeeding cannot be ruled out. It is an ongoing debate if the possible transmission risk outweighs the medical, cultural, psychological, and social importance of breastfeeding in women stable on current first-line suppressive antiretroviral regimens. The study aim was to explore breastfeeding desires and decision-making of immigrant and nonimmigrant women living with HIV in the Netherlands. Method: A questionnaire was administered orally or online to 82 women living with HIV in the Netherlands. The breastfeeding desires of the participants were collected as categorical data, and breastfeeding decision-making and willingness to adhere to additional monitoring were collected on a 5-point Likert scale. Categorical data were presented as proportions, and Likert scale data were presented in Likert scale bar plots. Results: Seventy-one percent of the participants expressed a desire to breastfeed in the future. The most important factors influencing decision-making to breastfeed were the chance of transmission of HIV to the infant and the advice by the doctor or nurse practitioner. Of the participants, 42% expressed their interest in breastfeeding with a <1/100 transmission risk. More than half of the participants expressed their interest to breastfeed with additional monitoring. Conclusions: A substantial proportion of the women living with HIV in the Netherlands has a desire to breastfeed, of which the majority are willing to adhere to additional monitoring to do so.
AB - Introduction: Guidelines in high-income countries recommend women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to formula feed their newborns, because the possibility of mother-to-child-transmission of HIV during breastfeeding cannot be ruled out. It is an ongoing debate if the possible transmission risk outweighs the medical, cultural, psychological, and social importance of breastfeeding in women stable on current first-line suppressive antiretroviral regimens. The study aim was to explore breastfeeding desires and decision-making of immigrant and nonimmigrant women living with HIV in the Netherlands. Method: A questionnaire was administered orally or online to 82 women living with HIV in the Netherlands. The breastfeeding desires of the participants were collected as categorical data, and breastfeeding decision-making and willingness to adhere to additional monitoring were collected on a 5-point Likert scale. Categorical data were presented as proportions, and Likert scale data were presented in Likert scale bar plots. Results: Seventy-one percent of the participants expressed a desire to breastfeed in the future. The most important factors influencing decision-making to breastfeed were the chance of transmission of HIV to the infant and the advice by the doctor or nurse practitioner. Of the participants, 42% expressed their interest in breastfeeding with a <1/100 transmission risk. More than half of the participants expressed their interest to breastfeed with additional monitoring. Conclusions: A substantial proportion of the women living with HIV in the Netherlands has a desire to breastfeed, of which the majority are willing to adhere to additional monitoring to do so.
KW - HIV
KW - antiretroviral agents
KW - breastfeeding
KW - mother-to-child transmission
KW - patient-centered care
KW - shared decision-making
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85159771664&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2023.0004
DO - https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2023.0004
M3 - Article
C2 - 37083439
SN - 1556-8253
VL - 18
SP - 356
EP - 361
JO - Breastfeeding medicine Breastfeeding Medicine
JF - Breastfeeding medicine Breastfeeding Medicine
IS - 5
ER -