Positive Shifts: HIV and Changes in Contraceptive and Condom Use among Women in Malawi

Christie Sennott, University of Colorado at Boulder
Sara Yeatman, University of Colorado at Denver

A number of clinic-based studies have examined changes in condom and hormonal contraceptive use following HIV tests. However, clinic populations are subject to a number of limitations that may affect the validity of these findings. We use eight waves of data from the Tsogolo la Thanzi study in rural Malawi to examine changes in young women’s use of condoms and hormonal contraceptives following positive and negative HIV tests, with and without a consideration of their prior perceived HIV status. Fixed effects models show that following an unexpected HIV positive result, women increase their condom use. Following an unexpected HIV negative result, women increase their use of hormonal contraceptives. We reflect on the implications of these findings for the integration of HIV and family planning programs and the expansion of home-based HIV testing in high prevalence settings.