KNOWLEDGE & AWARENESS OF HIV TESTING IN PREGNANT WOMEN AND THEIR HUSBAND ATTENDING OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY DEPARTMENT AT A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE IN CENTRAL INDIA DURING ANTENATAL CARE

Abstract

Background: 3.4 million people worldwide are estimated to be living with HIV in 2009. In 2007, only 33 percent of HIV-positive women received antiretroviral drugs to minimise the risk of infection from mother to child.
 Aims and Objective: To study Awareness of HIV testing in pregnant women and their husband during ANC attending in OBGY Department.
 Methodology: This was a cross-sectional analysis carried out over the one-year period of the ANC women attending the OBGY department. By taking the written consent included in the report, there were 108 ANC women in the one year period. By interviewing the pair, knowledge of HIV testing and HIV transmission was assessed. The responses were noted and evaluated by excel software for Windows 10 in the excel sheet.
 Result: In our study we have seen that the majority of the ANC women were in the age group of 26-30 were 32 %. The awareness regarding the various questions like Does HIV transmitted to foetus by mother?- 9 % were Yes, 22 %-No, 69 %-Don’t Know; Do you know tests are there for detection of HIV?- 7 %-Yes, 13 %-No, 80 %-Don’t know; Are you at a risk of Infection?- 4% were Yes, 52% -No, 44 % were Don’t know; Can the disease prevented ? 6 %- Yes, 22 % were No, 72 % were don’t know; Is HIV a Sexually transmitted disease? 33 %-Yes, 22 %-No, 45 %-Don’t know; Can HIV be transmitted by contaminated blood? 32 %-Yes, 20 %-No, 48 %-Don’t know; Can HIV be transmitted by Kissing ?-35 % say Yes, 17 % -No, 48 %-Don’t know; Can HIV be transmitted by sharing food ?- 24 % Yes , 35 %-No, 41 %-Don’t know. From our research, we found that while there is good understanding of the HIV disease, the availability of preventive services through HIV testing is very poor, so subsequent prevention administration drugs are very low, although some myths about the transmission of the disease still remain, such as transmitting through sharing food or transmitting casual hugging or shaking.
 Conclusion: From our research, it can be concluded that the awareness of the PPTCT services with respect to HIV testing during the ANC era was very low, so that the awareness of it should be increased so that HIV transmission from mother to foetus can be effectively carried out.
 Key words: HIV testing during pregnancy, PPTCT (Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission)