Context-based advocacy for HIV-positive women making reproductive decisions

As the number of HIV-positive women of childbearing age continues to rise, and treatments available to manage HIV become more accessible, the issue of HIV-positive women's reproductive decision making is gaining importance for nurses in AIDS care. Nurses and other health professionals care for these women as they decide whether to bear children. The decision whether to have children is complex and influenced by a number of individual and societal factors, creating an ethical tension between the interests of HIV-positive women and those of society. This article proposes a six-step, context-based advocacy process for nurses and other health professionals who interact with HIV-positive women of childbearing age. The advocacy process described is grounded in a review of literature on HIV/AIDS, factors influencing HIV-positive women's reproductive choices, and nursing advocacy. The proposed advocacy process enables nurses to support women's self-determination and decision making in a way that is informative and empowering.