Factors predicting uptake of voluntary counselling and testing in a real-life setting in a mother-and-child center in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
OBJECTIVE
To identify factors predicting uptake of voluntary HIV counselling and testing in pregnant women.


METHODS
All pregnant women receiving ante-natal group health education at St Camille Medical Center, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso from 1 May 2002 to 30 April 2004 were offered voluntary HIV counselling and testing. If they consented, the women were pre-test counselled, tested by two rapid tests giving immediate results and post-test counselled.


RESULTS
Less than one-fifth of pregnant women [1,216/6,639 (18.3%, CI 17.4-19.3%)] accepted voluntary HIV counselling and testing, mainly at the first ante-natal visit (83.4%) and at early gestational age (73.4% before week 24). The HIV seroprevalence rate was 10.6% (8.8-12.5%). The uptake rate was independently associated with age, the number of previous pregnancies and the number of previous miscarriages.


CONCLUSIONS
Our two-step approach of group education followed by voluntary HIV counselling and testing yielded a low uptake rate in this setting. However, the drop-out rate after enrolling in the programme was nearly zero. The timing of programme uptake would permit implementation of earlier prophylactic courses. Effective scaling-up of voluntary HIV counselling and testing outside the clinical trial requires a mass sensibilization campaign pointing out the programme's benefits and addressing the stigma of HIV. The independent value of age and previous obstetrical episodes show how important social factors are in influencing the voluntary HIV counselling and testing uptake rate.
St Camille Medical Center, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Salvatore
S
Pignatelli
Jacques
J
Simpore
Virginio
V
Pietra
Laurent
L
Ouedraogo
Ghislaine
G
Conombo
Nuccia
N
Saleri
Cecilia
C
Pizzocolo
Giuseppina
G
De Iaco
Francois
F
Tall
Adama
A
Ouiminga
Giampiero
G
Carosi
Francesco
F
Castelli
D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002050:Burkina Faso / Q000453:epidemiology; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010298:Parity; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods; D012747:Sexual Partners