Birth Preparedness Plans and Status Disclosure Among Pregnant Women Living with HIV Who are Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy in Ibadan, Southwest, Nigeria
Background: Promoting the maternal health of pregnant women who are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; [PWLH]) is key to reducing maternal mortality and morbidity. Thus, inadequate birth preparedness plans, non-institutional delivery, and status concealment among PWLH contribute to the...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Global Health and Education Projects, Inc.
2023-04-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://mchandaids.org/index.php/IJMA/article/view/613 |
| Summary: | Background: Promoting the maternal health of pregnant women who are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; [PWLH]) is key to reducing maternal mortality and morbidity. Thus, inadequate birth preparedness plans, non-institutional delivery, and status concealment among PWLH contribute to the spread of HIV infection and threaten the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT). Therefore, this study aimed to assess the birth preparedness plan and status disclosure among PWLH, as well as the prevalence of HIV infection among pregnant women.
Methods: The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional research design; a quantitative approach was used for data collection. Three healthcare facilities that represented the three levels of healthcare institutions and referral centers for the care of PWLH in the Ibadan metropolis were selected for the recruitment process. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data from 77 participants within the targeted population. Ethical approval was obtained prior to the commencement of data collection.
Results: The prevalence rate of HIV infection among the participants was 3.7%. Only 37.1% of the participants had a birth preparedness plan. A total of 40% of the participants tested for HIV, because testing was compulsory for antenatal registration. Only 7.1% of the participants had their status disclosed to their partners. Although 90% of the participants proposed delivering their babies in a hospital, only 80% of these participants had their status known in their proposed place of birth.
Conclusion and Global Health Implications: The prevalence of HIV infection among pregnant women is very low, which is an indication of improved maternal health. However, the level of birth preparedness plan and status disclosure to partners are equally low, and these factors can hinder PMTCT. Institutional delivery should be encouraged among all PWLH, and their HIV status must be disclosed at their place of birth.
Copyright © 2023 Akinwaare et al. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0.
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| ISSN: | 2161-8674 2161-864X |