Many HIV-positive women are reluctant to conceive because they fear they will infect their children during pregnancy, according to a recent study (Perspect. Sex. Reprod. Health 36[3]:106-13, 2004). The women tended to overestimate the risk of mother-to-child transmission, which occurs in fewer than 2% of cases for women who begin treatment early in pregnancy. Some women also thought that they might be unable to care for a child because of illness, disability, or death. "The misconceptions and misinformation reported suggest directions for family planning education and counseling," the researchers wrote. "Counseling may be complicated by health care provider opinions, expressed directly or indirectly, that may jeopardize a woman's ability to make independent and informed decisions."

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COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group