HIV testing among pregnant women in Brazil: rates and predictors.
OBJECTIVE
To assess rates of offering and uptake of HIV testing and their predictors among women who attended prenatal care.


METHODS
A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted among postpartum women (N=2,234) who attended at least one prenatal care visit in 12 cities. Independent and probabilistic samples were selected in the cities studied. Sociodemographic data, information about prenatal care and access to HIV prevention interventions during the current pregnancy were collected. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to assess independent effects of the covariates on offering and uptake of HIV testing. Data collection took place between November 1999 and April 2000.


RESULTS
Overall, 77.5% of the women reported undergoing HIV testing during the current pregnancy. Offering of HIV testing was positively associated with: previous knowledge about prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV; higher number of prenatal care visits; higher level of education and being white. HIV testing acceptance rate was 92.5%.


CONCLUSIONS
The study results indicate that dissemination of information about prevention of mother-to-child transmission among women may contribute to increasing HIV testing coverage during pregnancy. Non-white women with lower level of education should be prioritized. Strategies to increase attendance of vulnerable women to prenatal care and to raise awareness among health care workers are of utmost importance.
Veloso
Valdiléa G
VG
Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
Portela
Margareth C
MC
Vasconcellos
Mauricio T L
MT
Matzenbacher
Luiz A
LA
Vasconcelos
Ana Lúcia R de
AL
Grinsztejn
Beatriz
B
Bastos
Francisco I
FI
D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016015:Logistic Models; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult