Abstract
Introduction: According to 2011 Ethiopian demographic health survey result, about 2.2% mothers were HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) positive in Amhara regional state. HIV testing during pregnancy is the gateway for PMTCT (Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission) of HIV though its coverage was 72.0% to 82.5% in North-West Ethiopia. Objective: To assess VHCT (Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing) service utilization and its determinants among pregnant mothers in North-West Ethiopia in 2014. Methods: A community based cross sectional study using both quantitative and qualitative research methods was conducted in Enemay woreda/district. Data was collected on systematically selected 386 pregnant mothers and 4 FGDs (Focus Group Discussion) on purposively selected pregnant mothers and their partners. A pre tested closed ended structured questionnaire and open ended questions were used to collect the quantitative and qualitative data respectively. Binary logistic regression was used for multivariate analysis of quantitative data. Result: Majority (81.6%) of participants were known transmission of HIV during pregnancy and about three quarter (76.2%) of them were tested for HIV in current pregnancy. In FGD, all participants were not agreed as HIV testing was important during pregnancy. The repeatedly cited reason for not up taking HIV testing during pregnancy was fear of stigma and discrimination if test result becomes positive. Pregnant mothers not knowledgeable about MTCT (Mother to Child Transmission) of HIV; have not intension for ARV Prophylaxisis, unable to bring their partner for test and mothers who believe VHCT was importance before marriage only were less likely utilizing VHCT service thus organizations working on VHCT should further enhance awareness creation by giving especial attention for these groups of pregnant mothers.
Highlights
According to 2011 Ethiopian demographic health survey result, about 2.2% mothers were HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) positive in Amhara regional state
In this study about three quarter (76.2%) pregnant mothers underwent HIV testing on current pregnancy and this finding was in in line with a study in Ghana (76%) [14], Cambodia (76%) [15] and it was lower than the studies conducted in Northwestern Ethiopia at Gondar town (82.5%) [10], in a capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa town (94%) [12], in South Ethiopia at Hawassa Referral Hospital (96%) [16], Southern Ethiopia (100%) [17] and Northern Tanzania (98%) [18]
The possible reasons for increment in prior studies might be using of health institution based study [10,12,16,17,18] since pregnant mothers having positive attitude and better awareness may visit health institution and tested for HIV and in studies [10,12,16,17] the study participants were living in town they can access the information about VHCT and health services for test
Summary
According to 2011 Ethiopian demographic health survey result, about 2.2% mothers were HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) positive in Amhara regional state. HIV testing during pregnancy is the gateway for PMTCT (Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission) of HIV though its coverage was 72.0% to 82.5% in North-West Ethiopia. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continues to be a serious global public health challenges since its appearance. In Ethiopia, about 1.9% mothers in age group of 15-49 years were HIV sero-positive. In the country about one every hundred (0.8%) pregnant mothers were HIV sero-positive and this is an opportunity for transmition of the infection to their child [4,5]. Mother to child vertical HIV transmission accounts for more than 90% of pediatric AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) [6]. In 2011, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS estimated as about 330,000 new HIV infections occurred through vertical transmission [7]
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