Objective Integrate enhanced family planning (FP) and prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) services in order to help HIV-positive Zimbabwean women achieve their desired family size and spacing as well as to maximize maternal and child health. Study Design HIV-positive pregnant women were enrolled into a standard-of-care (SOC, n=33) or intervention (n=65) cohort, based on study entry date, and followed for three months post-partum. The intervention cohort received education sessions aimed at increasing FP use and negotiation power. Both groups received care from nurses with enhanced FP training. Outcomes included FP use, FP knowledge, and HIV disclosure, and were assessed with Fisher’s exact, binomial, and t-tests. Results The intervention cohort reported increased control over condom use (p=0.002), increased knowledge about IUDs (p=0.002), increased relationship power (p=0.01), and increased likelihood of disclosing their HIV status to a partner (p=0.04) and having that partner disclose to them (p=0.04), when compared to the SOC cohort. Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) use in both groups increased from ~2% at baseline to >80% at three months post-partum (p<0.001). Conclusions FP and sexual negotiation skills and knowledge, as well as HIV disclosure, increased significantly in the intervention cohort. LARC uptake increased significantly in both the intervention and SOC cohorts, likely because both groups received care from nurses with enhanced FP training. Successful service integration models are needed to maximize health outcomes in resource-constrained environments; this intervention is such a model that should be replicable in other settings in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.

Despite notable progress reducing global under-five mortality rates, insufficient progress in most sub-Saharan African nations has prevented the achievement of Millennium Development Goal four (MDG#4) to reduce under-five mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. Country-level assessments of factors underlying why some African countries have not been able to achieve MDG#4 have not been published. Zimbabwe was included in a four-country study examining barriers and facilitators of under-five survival between 2000 and 2013 due to its comparatively slow progress towards MDG#4. A review of national health policy and strategy documents and analysis of qualitative data identified Zimbabwe’s critical shortage of health workers and diminished opportunities for professional training and education as an overarching challenge. Moreover, this insufficient health workforce severely limited the availability, quality, and utilization of life-saving health services for pregnant women and children during the study period. The impact of these challenges was most evident in Zimbabwe’s persistently high neonatal mortality rate, and was likely compounded by policy gaps failing to authorize midwives to deliver life-saving interventions and to ensure health staff make home post-natal care visits soon after birth. Similarly, the lack of a national policy authorizing lower-level cadres of health workers to provide community-based treatment of pneumonia contributed to low coverage of this effective intervention and high child mortality. Zimbabwe has recently begun to address these challenges through comprehensive policies and strategies targeting improved recruitment and retention of experienced senior providers and by shifting responsibility of basic maternal, neonatal and child health services to lower-level cadres and community health workers that require less training, are geographically broadly distributed, and are more cost-effective, however the impact of these interventions could not be assessed within the scope and timeframe of the current study.

Background. Vaginal practices (VPs) may increase HIV risk by injuring vaginal epithelium or by increasing risk of bacterial vaginosis, an established risk factor for HIV. Methods. HIV-negative Zimbabwean women (n = 2,185) participating in a prospective study on hormonal contraception and HIV risk completed an ancillary questionnaire capturing detailed VP data at quarterly followup visits for two years. Results. Most participants (84%) reported ever cleansing inside the vagina, and at 40% of visits women reported drying the vagina using cloth or paper. Vaginal tightening using cloth/cotton wool, lemon juice, traditional herbs/powders, or other products was reported at 4% of visits. Women with ≥15 unprotected sex acts monthly had higher odds of cleansing (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.17, 95% CI: 1.04–1.32). Women with sexually transmitted infections had higher odds of tightening (aOR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.08–1.86). Conclusion. Because certain vaginal practices were associated with other HIV risk factors, synergism between VPs and other risk factors should be explored.

In Zimbabwe, abortions are legally restricted and complications from unsafe abortions are a major public health concern. This study in 2012 explored women's and providers' perspectives in Zimbabwe on the acceptability of the use of misoprostol as a form of treatment for complications of abortion in post-abortion care. In-depth interviews were conducted with 115 participants at seven post-abortion care facilities. Participants included 73 women of reproductive age who received services for incomplete abortion and 42 providers, including physicians, nurses, midwives, general practitioners and casualty staff. Only 29 providers had previously used misoprostol with their own patients, and only 21 had received any formal training in its use. Nearly all women and providers preferred misoprostol to surgical abortion methods because it was perceived as less invasive, safer and more affordable. Women also generally preferred the non-surgical method, when given the option, as fears around surgery and risk were high. Most providers favoured removing legal restrictions on abortion, particularly medical abortion. Approving use of misoprostol for post-abortion care in Zimbabwe is important in order to reduce unsafe abortion and its related sequelae. Legal, policy and practice reforms must be accompanied by effective reproductive health curricula updates in medical, nursing and midwifery schools, as well as through updated training for current and potential providers of post-abortion care services nationwide. Our findings support the use of misoprostol in national post-abortion care programmes, as it is an acceptable and potentially life-saving treatment option.

Introduction Hormonal contraception (HC) use by HIV-infected women has been identified by the WHO as important strategy for reducing vertical HIV transmission. Little is known about factors associated with HC discontinuation among HIV-infected women. Methods We analyzed data from a prospective study of HC use among 231 HIV-infected oral contraceptive (OC) or injectable depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) users in Uganda and Zimbabwe. We used Kaplan-Meier survival curves to estimate the median duration of OC and DMPA use and use of any highly effective contraceptive method. Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate factors associated with HC discontinuation. Results Median duration was 36 months (95% CI 14, 61) for OC use and 19 months (95% CI 14, 24) for DMPA use. Median duration of any highly effective method was 36 months (95% CI 26, N/A) for OC users and 22 months (95% CI 14, 38) for DMPA users. In multivariable analyses, living in Zimbabwe (HR 0.39; 95% CI 0.18, 0.83), no partner (HR 7.18; 95% CI 3.05, 16.88) and cervical infection (HR 1.99; 95% CI 0.90, 4.41) were associated with OC discontinuation. No partner (HR 2.00; 95% CI 1.12, 3.58), nausea (HR 1.84; 95% CI 1.02, 3.34) and excessive night sweats (HR 1.80; 95% CI 0.95, 3.40) were associated with DMPA discontinuation. Discussion Long-term use of HC methods is acceptable to HIV-infected women. Women discontinue for a variety of reasons, primarily unrelated to HIV. Alternative methods and ongoing contraceptive counseling is essential to reduce unplanned pregnancies and vertical HIV transmission.