title: Determinants for refusal of HIV testing among women attending for antenatal care in Gambella Region, Ethiopia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Gambella region, inhabitants owe socio-cultural factors that might favor refusal for HIV testing service utilization among Antenatal Care attendees.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess determinants for refusal of HIV testing service utilization among ANC attendees in Gambella Region.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comparative cross sectional study was conducted among ANC attendees from March 2008 to May 2008 in four selected health facilities of Gambella region. Sample size of 332 participants (83 who refused HIV testing and 249 who accepted HIV testing) were taken for the study. The study was supplemented with four focus group discussions. Multivariate binary logistic regression was employed to control for confounding factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When adjusted with other factors pregnant women with 2-3 live births in the past; who claimed divorce as a perceived response of their husband following HIV positive test result; who had not sought agreement from their husband for testing; disclosure of test for husband and being from certain ethnic group (E.g. Mejenger) were independent predictors for refusal of HIV testing among ANC attendees.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the findings, the following recommendations were forwarded: Provision of innovative information and education on the pre-test session for those pregnant women having two or more children; community involvement to tackle stigma; women empowerment; designing couple friendly counseling service; and fighting harmful traditional practices related with decision of HIV testing.
authors: United Nations Population Fund, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors: Wondimagegn
authors: W
authors: Fanta
authors: Alemayehu
authors: A
authors: Worku
mesh_terms: D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D045808:Refusal to Participate / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult