http://www.infoforhealth.org/blog/?p=168 A conversation on the latest family planning and reproductive health information. Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:39:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.3 http://www.infoforhealth.org/blog/?p=168#comment-1367 Theresa Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:01:54 +0000 http://www.infoforhealth.org/blog/?p=168#comment-1367 Recently, I benefited from hearing a noted HIV expert speak on current issues with HIV. During the question and answer session, I asked him, "Do you think enough attention is being paid by policy makers and funders to the importance of integration of HIV/AIDS and family planning services for HIV prevention?" The expert looked surprised at my question (making me think this issue wasn't on his radar). He finally answered, "Probably not," but went on to say that evidence was needed to bring attention to the importance of integrated services in the HIV community. To me, this article clearly articulates the evidence! The article states, "The group has found that programs providing antiretroviral drugs to pregnant women prevented 101,000 cases of pediatric HIV between 1999 and 2006. Contraception, meanwhile, averts the births of 173,000 infected babies each year, the group says." I firmly believe--and evidence supports--that family planning counseling as part of antenatal care is crucial to making needed gains in HIV prevention. Recently, I benefited from hearing a noted HIV expert speak on current issues with HIV. During the question and answer session, I asked him, “Do you think enough attention is being paid by policy makers and funders to the importance of integration of HIV/AIDS and family planning services for HIV prevention?” The expert looked surprised at my question (making me think this issue wasn’t on his radar). He finally answered, “Probably not,” but went on to say that evidence was needed to bring attention to the importance of integrated services in the HIV community. To me, this article clearly articulates the evidence! The article states, “The group has found that programs providing antiretroviral drugs to pregnant women prevented 101,000 cases of pediatric HIV between 1999 and 2006. Contraception, meanwhile, averts the births of 173,000 infected babies each year, the group says.” I firmly believe–and evidence supports–that family planning counseling as part of antenatal care is crucial to making needed gains in HIV prevention.

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