Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Study on HIV/AIDS Among Prenatal Women in a Tertiary Care Institute
Anitha Aldur Manjappa, Kaarthiga Ramalingam Gopinath, Gowri Selvendran
Abstract
Background: Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS)–infected women and children account for the majority of active and new cases of HIV infections globally as well as in India. Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) is the primary and sole cause of HIV infections among children. Inadequate knowledge about HIV/AIDS and MTCT preventive practices may be the reason behind the high transmission rate of HIV.
Aim: To assess the knowledge about HIV/AIDS and MTCT as well as attitude toward HIV testing among pregnant women
Materials and Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 170 pregnant women attending the prenatal clinic of a tertiary care center in South India. Descriptive statistics were used for quantitative variables, and the Pearson 2 test or Fisher’s exact test was used for comparing categorical data.
Results: A majority of the participants (58.2%) belonged to the age group of 26 to 30 years. Among them, 64.7% were working women, 95.3% had heard about HIV, and 83.5% were aware of MTCT. The awareness about use of condoms to prevent HIV infection and availability of antiretroviral drugs was known to 58.8% and 61.8% of the participants, respectively. Regarding knowledge on MTCT routes, 73% of the participants felt HIV may pass on to the newborn during cesarean delivery, and 65.8% of the participants felt MTCT was through breastfeeding. Overall, 64% of the participants knew that newborn infection could be prevented by avoiding breastfeeding. Higher educational and socioeconomic status of pregnant women were associated with the increase in awareness about HIV/AIDS and MTCT.
Conclusion: Although a majority of the participants had heard about HIV/AIDS and MTCT, the in-depth knowledge about its transmission and prevention was very poor. Hence, all pregnant women should be involved in health education and awareness campaigns about HIV/AIDS and MTCT.
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