title: Perceived risks and benefits of HIV testing, and predictors of acceptance of HIV counselling and testing among pregnant women in Zimbabwe.
abstract: This project evaluated perceived risks and benefits and determined predictors of acceptance of voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT) among pregnant women in Zimbabwe. One hundred and seventy pregnant women attending an urban antenatal clinic were surveyed. Implications of a negative or positive HIV test result and of telling a partner or community members that one is HIV positive were queried. Forty women (23.5%) consented to VCT, and 16 (40%) were HIV positive. Women who saw VCT as lower risk (odds ratio [OR] = 2.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.1-5.0]) and women who had had a stillbirth or child die (OR = 0.4, 95% CI [0.16-0.97]) were more likely to consent. Prenatal HIV VCT offers the best opportunity for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV; however, less than 25% of women consented. If such interventions are to be successful, attention must be directed towards developing culturally appropriate strategies to address women's concerns and improve future acceptance of VCT in Zimbabwe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA. susanne@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Susanne P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Martin-Herz
authors.forename: Avinash K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.forename: Mary T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Bassett
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ley
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mhazo
authors.forename: Sostain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moyo
authors.forename: Arnd M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Herz
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Katzenstein
mesh_terms: D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015030:Zimbabwe / Q000453:epidemiology