Objective. To inform an intervention integrating family planning into HIV care, family planning (FP) knowledge, attitudes and\r\npractices, and perspectives on integrating FP into HIV care were assessed among healthcare providers in Nyanza Province,\r\nKenya. Methods. Thirty-one mixed-method, structured interviews were conducted among a purposive sample of healthcare\r\nworkers (HCWs) from 13 government HIV care facilities in Nyanza Province. Structured questions and case scenarios assessed\r\ncontraceptive knowledge, training, and FP provision experience. Open-ended questions explored perspectives on integration.\r\nData were analyzed descriptively and qualitatively. Results. Of the 31 HCWs interviewed, 45% reported previous FP training. Few\r\nproviders thought long-acting methods were safe for HIV-positive women (19% viewed depot medroxyprogesterone acetate as safe\r\nand 36% viewed implants and intrauterine contraceptives as safe); fewer felt comfortable recommending them to HIV-positive\r\nwomen. Overall, providers supported HIV and family planning integration, yet several potential barriers were identified including\r\nmisunderstandings about contraceptive safety, gendered power differentials relating to fertility decisions, staff shortages, lack of FP\r\ntraining, and contraceptive shortages. Conclusions.These findings suggest the importance of considering issues such as patient flow,\r\nprovider burden, commodity supply, gender and cultural issues affecting FP use, and provider training in FP/HIV when designing\r\nintegrated FP/HIV services in high HIV prevalence areas.
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