KNOWLEDGE AND PREVENTIVE PRACTICES OF MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION (PMTCT) SERVICES AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN CALABAR MUNICIPALITY

KNOWLEDGE AND PREVENTIVE PRACTICES OF MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION (PMTCT) SERVICES AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN CALABAR MUNICIPALITY

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

In 2011, a Global Plan was launched to reduce the number of new HIV infections via mother-to-child transmission by 90% by 2015. Strategies to improve the knowledge of MTCT and PMTCT in Nigeria, has been focused on rural women, emerging regions, the poor, illiterate and unemployed women. Efforts are also needed to involve religious leaders and related organization in the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programmes provides antiretroviral treatment (ART) to HIV-positive pregnant women to stop their infants from acquiring the virus (Aidsportal, 2015).

A number of studies have identified the link between knowledge of HIV, MTCT and PMTCT and uptake of PMTCT services. For example, research from Togo reported a 92% HIV testing uptake among participants where: 77% of pregnant women agreed that unprotected sex increased the risk of HIV transmission to their child and 61% recognised that the risk of HIV transmission to their child was higher for mixed breastfeeding than for exclusive breastfeeding (Tatagan, 2011). A study of more than 10,000 women in Tanzania found that only 46% of respondents had an adequate knowledge on MTCT and PMTCT. Factors associated with having adequate knowledge were experiencing at least one pregnancy, higher education levels, higher household wealth, living in an urban area, being exposed to HIV education, having taken an HIV test or knowing where to get tested for HIV. Women living with HIV were more likely to have adequate knowledge of MTCT than women who were HIV negative (56% compared to 46%) (Adebajo, 2016)

Conversely, other studies have associated high levels of HIV, MTCT and PMTCT knowledge with lower acceptability of PMTCT. One study from south west Nigeria recorded that, while 99.8% of pregnant women were aware of HIV and had very high knowledge of MTCT (92%) and PMTCT (91%), 71% had negative views towards PMTCT. This was due to factors such as stigma and discrimination (Olugbenga-Bello, 2013). A study was carried out to determine the perception about ‘opt out’ HIV testing among 500 pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at Adeoyo Maternity Hospital, Ibada in Nigeria. Almost all (97%) respondents had done an HIV test and received the results due to the ‘opt out’ approach. Slightly less than half (48%) mentioned the hospital as the first source of information about HIV. However, knowledge of HIV and PMTCT was high among the vast majority of women (95%), which the study partly attributes to the information and counselling session that all respondents had attended before testing (Balogun, and Owoaje, 2016)

KNOWLEDGE AND PREVENTIVE PRACTICES OF MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION (PMTCT) SERVICES AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN CALABAR MUNICIPALITY