Abstract:
BACKGROUND: In the absence of preventive measures HIV infected mother may pass the HIV infection to her baby during pregnancy, labor, and through breastfeeding. However PMTCT program will be crucial element to eliminate HIV transmission to the child.
AIM OF THE STUDY: is to assess utilization of PMTCT services in postnatal mothers infected with HIV, facilitating and hindering factors toward PMTCT utilization.
METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study with quantitative approach was used to assess HIV positive mother’s utilization of PMTCT in NGOMA District specifically in Kibungo hospital catchment area. A simple random sampling was used to select 5 health centers then purposive sampling was used to recruit 157 participants in the study. Data was collected through valid and reliable adapted questionnaire used in Nigeria by Ibrahim et al. (2016) with permission. Data analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics of Pearson Chi-square test.
RESULTS: The study revealed that 51% of the participants visited ANC from one to three months of pregnancy, 41, 4% had four visits, all mothers were tested during pregnancy, 93.6% disclosed their HIV status, 70.1% attended ANC with partner, all received ART, 96.2% take them as directed, 96.2% delivered at health facility, all children received NVP after birth, 96.2% were given cotrimoxazole at six weeks, 90.4% gave medication to children as directed, 82.2% practiced effective exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6months of life. Counseling before and after HIV testing, male partner involvement in the ANC/PMTCT, quality of services was raised by the most participants as facilitating factors. Hindering factors were HIV related stigma and discrimination, distance to health facility, cost of transportation and illiteracy. Pearson Chisquare test shown association between utilization of PMTCT services and marital status P<0.0001, disclosure of HIV status P<0.0001, involvement of male partner in ANC/PMTCT P<0.0001, and quality of services at ANC/PMTCT health facility P=0.048.
CONCLUSION: PMTCT practice in this study was found to be moderate to high and effort should be made in male involvement in PMTCT, disclosure of HIV status and support of young or unmarried mothers or those without partners.
