Investigating factors associated with uptake of HIV voluntary counselling and testing among pregnant women living in North Uganda

• Published in: AIDS care Vol. 19; no. 6; pp. 733 - 739
• Main Authors: Fabiani, M., Cawthorne, A., Nattabi, B., Ayella, E. O., Ogwang, M., Declich, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis Group 01.07.2007; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Adult; AIDS/HIV; Biological and medical sciences; Counseling; Counseling - methods; Counselling; Data Collection - methods; Disease transmission; Female; HIV; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - transmission; HIV-1; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical - prevention & control; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Medical treatment; Mental health; Obstetrics; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - drug therapy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - epidemiology; Pregnant women; Prevention. Health policy. Planification; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Public health; Regression analysis; Reproductive health; Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry; Testing; Uganda; Uganda - epidemiology; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Voluntary; Women; Women's health; Uganda; Africa; Gulu Uganda; Social environment; Human; Clinical test; Immunopathology; Participation; Sanitary program; Education level; Retroviridae; AIDS; Clinical counseling; Immune deficiency; Lentivirus; Infection; Virus; Pregnancy; Prevention; Marital status; Sociodemographic factor; Viral disease; Human immunodeficiency virus; Predictive factor; Woman; Public health
• ISSN: 0954-0121; 1360-0451
• DOI: 10.1080/09540120601087731

We investigated factors potentially associated with the uptake of HIV voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), which is the first step in acceding to programmes for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection. For the period 2001-2003, we estimated the VCT uptake among the 12,252 first-time attendees of the Antenatal Clinic (ANC) at Lacor Hospital (Gulu District, North Uganda). Associations between VCT uptake and socio-demographic characteristics and reproductive history were evaluated using log binomial regression models. VCT uptake was 55.6% for the overall study period; it increased from 51.0% in 2001 to 58.6% in 2002 and 57.7% in 2003 (P <0.001). Having some education [primary versus none, adjusted prevalence proportion ratio (PPR) =1.05, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.00-1.10] and being unmarried (cohabitating, PPR =1.07, 95% CI: 1.03-1.10; single/widowed/divorced, PPR =1.10, 95% CI: 1.03-1.18) were significantly associated with VCT uptake. Associations of borderline significance were found for: recent change of residence, having a partner with a modern occupation, and past use of contraceptives. VCT uptake is still low in this district of North Uganda. Although some socio-demographic factors were found to have been associated with uptake, the associations were weak and not of public-health significance.