Abstract
Introduction: Globally, male partner involvement has been recognized as a priority focus area to be strengthened in PMTCT; as it decreases the risk of MTCT and HIV related deaths. It also has great contribution in ensuring PMTCT service uptake among mothers and in ensuring survival of infants born to HIV-positive mothers. But the male partners’ involvement in PMTCT remains to be challenge in most low-middle income countries including Ethiopia and less is known about the reasons for the less or non-involvement of male partners in the service receipt. This study, therefore, was aimed at identifying factors associated with male partners’ involvement in PMTCT. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was employed among men whose wife had given birth to at least one child, whose age less than 2 years at the study period, in West Shoa zone Ambo town. A simple random sampling was used to get the total of 374 male participants. The returned questionnaires were checked for completeness, cleaned manually, coded and entered into EPI INFO 7.1.6 version and transferred to statistical Package for Social Sciences 23.0 for further analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions analysis was used to identify factors associated with factors associated with male partners’ involvement in PMTCT at AOR with 95%CI to controlled effects of possible confounders from final model. Results: Only less than half; 159(42.5%) with 95% CI; (37.7-47.6) of husbands got involved in the reception of HIV testing, counseling and caring services during ANC. Male partners undertake the birth preparedness and complication readiness (AOR= 2.09, 95% CI (1.13-3.9), male involved in ANC [AOR=30.02, 95% CI (13.51-66.69)] and those had good knowledge on obstetric danger signs [AOR=2.987,(1.61-5.55)] more likely to get involved in PMTCT. Conclusion and recommendation: Male involvement in PMTCT program was found to be low in the study area. Male involved in ANC, participated in birth preparedness-complication readiness measures and having good knowledge on obstetrics danger signs were identified factors associated with male partner involvement in PMTCT. Finally, therefore, promotion of male partners’ involvement in ANC as well as enhancing community based couples HIV testing and counseling are recommended as essential measures in fostering male partner involvement in PMTCT. Keywords: male partner involvement PMTCT DOI: 10.7176/JMPB/66-04 Publication date: June 30th 2020
Highlights
Male partner involvement has been recognized as a priority focus area to be strengthened in PMTCT; as it decreases the risk of mother to child transmission (MTCT) and HIV related deaths
Male partners who had accompanied their female partners during ANC were found to be 30 times [AOR=30.02, 95% CI (13.51-66.69)] more likely to be involved in PMTCT compared to their counter parts
As the rate of MTCT is higher in Kenya, it may be justified with the fact that women who have known their HIV positive status are less likely to invite their partners both to perinatal and PMTCT services; as it was evidenced by a study conducted in Mekele [29]
Summary
Male partner involvement has been recognized as a priority focus area to be strengthened in PMTCT; as it decreases the risk of MTCT and HIV related deaths It has great contribution in ensuring PMTCT service uptake among mothers and in ensuring survival of infants born to HIV-positive mothers. Male involved in ANC, participated in birth preparedness-complication readiness measures and having good knowledge on obstetrics danger signs were identified factors associated with male partner involvement in PMTCT. In most of the cases male partners (men) play a key role in decision making for women access to health service including maternal health care [11].Male partner involvement in the perinatal care has significant effect on improving all perinatal care uptake, breastfeeding and even new born survival in Ethiopia, as well in other sub-Saharan Africa countries [12, 13]. Only about 35%-50% of pregnant women, in Africa including Ethiopia, are accompanied to ANC by their partner [14, 15]
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