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Major
Bioethics
Anticipated Graduation Year
2021
Access Type
Open Access
Abstract
Abstract:
Due to the advancement of treatments for HIV, this previously terminal illness has become a treatable chronic disease. As a result, people who live with HIV now have longer life expectancies and wish to have children. People living with this chronic illness often turn to ARTs to assist them in reproducing safely and with a lessened risk of transmission of the HIV virus to their children. IVF-ICSI, and IUI are most commonly utilized for assistance in reproduction, which like treatment for HIV, have advanced to the point of having high success rates in patients with HIV. With an increase in technology available to individuals with HIV, comes the ethical concern of equitable and accessible access to care. Our research indicates that serodiscordant couples (i.e. mixed status) are pursuing reproductive assistance in order to have children safely, however, they may also consider or practice unsafe measures. This begs the question of how individuals and serodiscordant couples can safely reproduce with the help of reproductive technology. Furthermore, it is important to note the role that socioeconomic status plays in disadvantaging women in access to information and healthcare services. In summary, as technology and treatments continue to advance for individuals with HIV, more conversations specific to their needs are necessary in order to prevent further discrimination in healthcare settings.
Faculty Mentors & Instructors
Dr. Jennifer Parks and Dr. Dawn Franks
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Reproductive Assistance for Individuals with HIV
Abstract:
Due to the advancement of treatments for HIV, this previously terminal illness has become a treatable chronic disease. As a result, people who live with HIV now have longer life expectancies and wish to have children. People living with this chronic illness often turn to ARTs to assist them in reproducing safely and with a lessened risk of transmission of the HIV virus to their children. IVF-ICSI, and IUI are most commonly utilized for assistance in reproduction, which like treatment for HIV, have advanced to the point of having high success rates in patients with HIV. With an increase in technology available to individuals with HIV, comes the ethical concern of equitable and accessible access to care. Our research indicates that serodiscordant couples (i.e. mixed status) are pursuing reproductive assistance in order to have children safely, however, they may also consider or practice unsafe measures. This begs the question of how individuals and serodiscordant couples can safely reproduce with the help of reproductive technology. Furthermore, it is important to note the role that socioeconomic status plays in disadvantaging women in access to information and healthcare services. In summary, as technology and treatments continue to advance for individuals with HIV, more conversations specific to their needs are necessary in order to prevent further discrimination in healthcare settings.