Attitudes on breast feeding among persons with HIV who have given birth and their perceptions of coercion during counseling on safe infant feeding practices.

ABSTRACT: Persons with HIV can receive mixed messages about the safety of breastfeeding. We sought to assess if they felt coerced to formula feed when counseled about practices to reduce HIV transmission. Persons with HIV who had given birth were eligible to complete a survey to describe their experiences with infant feeding counseling and if they felt coerced to formula feed. An Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) assessed attitudes towards breastfeeding. Qualitative analyses were performed on narrative responses. One hundred surveys were collected from sites in Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. The mean IIFAS score (n, 85) was 47 (SD 9.2), suggesting relatively favorable attitudes toward breastfeeding. Thirteen persons reported feeling coerced to formula feed

SUBMITTER: Lazenby GB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10213150 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature