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African Journal of AIDS Research Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/raar20
Knowledge and perception of HIV/AIDS among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Ogun State, Nigeria Adeniyi K Adeneye , Margaret A Mafe , Adejuwon A Adeneye , Kabiru K Salami , William R Brieger , Musbau A Titiloye , Taiwo A Adewole & Philip U Agomo Published online: 11 Nov 2009.
To cite this article: Adeniyi K Adeneye , Margaret A Mafe , Adejuwon A Adeneye , Kabiru K Salami , William R Brieger , Musbau A Titiloye , Taiwo A Adewole & Philip U Agomo (2006) Knowledge and perception of HIV/AIDS among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Ogun State, Nigeria, African Journal of AIDS Research, 5:3, 273-279, DOI: 10.2989/16085900609490389 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.2989/16085900609490389
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http:// www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
African Journal of AIDS Research 2006, 5(3): 273–279 Printed in South Africa — All rights reserved
Copyright © NISC Pty Ltd
AJAR EISSN 1727–9445
Knowledge and perception of HIV/AIDS among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Ogun State, Nigeria Adeniyi K Adeneye1*, Margaret A Mafe1, Adejuwon A Adeneye2, Kabiru K Salami3, William R Brieger4, Musbau A Titiloye5, Taiwo A Adewole1 and Philip U Agomo1 1
Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, PMB 2013, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria Department of Pharmacology, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria 3 Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria 4 Health Systems Programme, Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N Wolfe Street, Room E8141, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States of America 5 Department of Health Promotion and Education, African Regional Health Education Centre, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria * Corresponding author, e-mail: [email protected]
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2
Mother-to-child transmission of HIV (MTCT) is responsible for more than 90% of the cases of HIV infection in infants and children in sub-Saharan Africa. Accurate data on the knowledge and perceptions of HIV/AIDS among women attending antenatal clinics in Nigeria are scarce. A cross-sectional survey of 804 women attending antenatal clinics in Ogun State, South-West Nigeria was done using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Approximately 90% of the women respondents had heard of HIV/AIDS, but only about 27% knew HIV could be transmitted from mother to child; of those, almost 94% believed in the reality of HIV disease; in contrast, the majority (64%) believed they were not at risk of HIV infection, and a slightly greater proportion (70%) did not understand the benefits of voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT). Nonetheless, almost 90% of respondents were willing to know their status following health education about VCT. Those that were older, attending public hospitals, and with a higher level of education had more knowledge and better perceptions about HIV. The results suggest an urgent need for public health education on HIV/AIDS and the benefits of VCT to control MTCT, particularly targeting young women and those with little or no education. Keywords: access to healthcare, Africa, attitudes, mother-to-child transmission of HIV, voluntary counselling and testing
Introduction A seldom-acknowledged impact of the AIDS epidemic is the degree to which it is eroding the improvements in child survival in Africa achieved over the past few decades (Piot & Coll-Seck, 1999; WHO, 2002). UNAIDS (1997) and WHO (2001) estimated, respectively, that over 0.5 million and 0.8 million neonates worldwide had been infected with HIV during delivery or breastfeeding, while Nieburg & Stannecki (1998) reported that more than two million HIV-positive women worldwide had given birth. The problem is most acute in sub-Saharan Africa where nearly 90% of infected children live (WHO, 2002). Piot & Coll-Seck (1999) cited that of the ten countries with the largest number of infected children worldwide, the top nine were in sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria ranking second with 99 000 HIVinfected children. The majority of infected children acquire HIV through mother-to-child transmission (Anderson, May, Bolly, Garnett & Rowley, 1991; UNAIDS/UNICEF/WHO, 1998), which contributes significantly to infant mortality (Cheek & Chin,
1990; The Working Group on Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, 1995; Biggar, Miotti, Taha, Mtimavalye, Broadhead, Justesen, Yellin, Liomba, Miley, Walters, Chiphangwi & Goedert, 1996). In Nigeria, mother-to-child transmission of HIV (MTCT) accounts for 3–10% of all cases of infection, and MTCT is on the rise. Factors contributing to this increase in the country include: perceived low vulnerability to HIV infection enforced by misconceptions about the mechanisms of HIV transmission; fear of social stigma if known to be HIV-positive; infected mothers not knowing their sero-status and proceeding to breastfeed their children; difficulty accessing antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for many HIV-positive persons; and lack of voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT) services at most health facilities, particularly in rural communities (National AIDS/STDs Control Programme, 2002). Results of the Nigeria Demographic Health Survey of 2003 showed that among pregnant women attending antenatal care clinics only 24.3% (44.4% urban and 16.2%
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274
rural) had been counselled about HIV; 79.2% of women and 82.5% of men had never been tested for HIV; and, 46% of women as compared to 56.4% of men knew that mother-tochild transmission is possible. In addition, 60% of pregnant women (83% of urban and 51% of rural women surveyed) made use of antenatal care services, while 2.5% had visited traditional birth attendants (TBAs). But only 32.6% (54.2% urban and 23.8% rural) had their babies delivered in a health facility, while 66.4% had delivered at home (National Population Commission & ORC Marco, 2004). Antenatal VCT is one of several interventions used to reduce MTCT. In a survey of health and laboratory facilities in all six zones of Nigeria, the data that were collated and analysed concerning an individual’s reason for HIV testing at the surveyed laboratory facilities showed that only 16.3% of those surveyed had used voluntary testing services (Idigbe, Ibrahim, Ubane, Onwujekwe, Esan, Otoh & Adedoyin, 2000). However, accurate data on the acceptability of HIV testing among pregnant women in Nigeria are scarce, but given the trend of rising HIV infection among pregnant women (National AIDS/STDs Control Programme, 1999) and the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding in the country (Esan, 1997), one would expect a high incidence of motherto-child HIV transmission. Even so, the success of antenatal VCT is dependent upon women’s and communities’ knowledge and perceptions of HIV. Despite increasing HIV prevalence among women using antenatal clinics in Nigeria (National AIDS/STDs Control Programme, 2002), very little is known about their knowledge and perceptions of HIV. Such information is important for understanding and determining the likelihood that pregnant women will accept and seek VCT — which would contribute to preventing MTCT, through increased acceptability and demand for confidential antenatal HIV testing, and so prepare for the scaling-up of Nevirapine therapy in the country. Knowledge of this is important if any serious impact is to be made by 2010 to meet the internationally agreed global goal (declared by governments during the United Nations General Assembly Special Session [UNGASS] on HIV/AIDS in June 2001) to reduce by at least one-third the mortality of infants and children under age five during the decade 2001–2010, and by two-thirds by 2015. These goals are to be achieved by reducing the proportion of the infant population infected with HIV by 2% by 2005, and by 50% by 2010, by ensuring that 80% of pregnant women accessing antenatal care have information, counselling and other HIV-prevention services available to them; increasing the availability and access to treatment to reduce MTCT; effective interventions for HIVpositive women including VCT; access to treatment using antiretroviral therapy and, where appropriate, breastmilk substitutes; and the provision of a continuum of care (WHO, 2003a and 2003b). This is vital in view of the overriding goal of Nigeria’s national policy on HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which is to reduce HIV prevalence to less than 1% of the country’s population by 2010 (National AIDS/STDs Control Programme, 2002). Realising this, it becomes imperative to investigate pregnant women’s knowledge and perceptions about HIV, particularly as it concerns transmission to infants during birth or breastfeeding (Berer, 1999). Because the preven-
Adeneye, Mafe, Adeneye, Salami, Brieger, Titiloye, Adewole and Agomo
tion of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (pMTCT) programme with Nevirapine therapy for HIV-positive pregnant women has commenced in selected health institutions across the country (National AIDS/STDs Control Programme, 2002), data on the grassroots knowledge of pregnant women can inform planning, policy development, advocacy and counselling plans. Methods The study was carried out in Ijebu North local government area (LGA) of Ogun State, South-West Nigeria (one of 20 LGAs in the state, located 140km northeast of Lagos). Ijebu is predominantly Yoruba-speaking, with an estimated population of approximately 190 000 in 2001. The health system in the country is based on ‘out-of-pocket expenses.’ While most government health facilities are ill-equipped and often not easily accessible, private clinics are usually expensive. Alternately, many people patronise herbal doctors, village health workers, and traditional birth attendants (TBAs) who each provide healthcare services in the communities in which they live (Umar, Olumide & Bawa, 2003). Typically, only when there is dire need for more professional healthcare, and as a last resort, do people go to the nearest public health clinic. The study used semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaires to interview 804 pregnant women exiting antenatal clinics in both public and private health facilities, between May and August 2003. Twenty-two (11 public and 11 private) of the 34 public and private health facilities in the LGA were randomly selected and visited. The sampling frame was the list of pregnant women registered for antenatal care; the names of those interviewed on exit from the clinics were noted on each visit to the selected health facilities in order to avoid duplication of respondents. Questions included background information such as age, religion, level of education, marital status, type of marriage, and occupation of the respondent. In addition, the questions probed the respondents’ awareness of an HIV test as one of various tests expected at an antenatal clinic, and the clients’ knowledge of diseases that could be spread by blood. Finally, several questions probed respondents’ knowledge and perceptions of HIV/AIDS, namely: knowledge and awareness of the modes of HIV transmission, signs and symptoms of AIDS, prevention of HIV infection, and the possibility of mother-to-child HIV transmission. The questionnaires were pre-tested in an LGA adjoining the study communities. Following the data collection, the questionnaires were screened, edited for clarity, completeness and uniformity of the responses, and then coded. The coded data were entered using Epi info. Statistical analyses of the data set included univariate analysis to show the relative frequency distribution of each variable on the questionnaire, and bivariate and multivariate analyses at a 95% level of significance to examine simple and multiple associations between selected independent and dependent variables relative to the objectives of the study. The Institutional Review Board of Boston University, USA, and the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research approved the study protocol before its field implementation. Similarly,
African Journal of AIDS Research 2006, 5(3): 273–279
275
Downloaded by [134.117.10.200] at 09:18 31 December 2014
Results Respondents’ background characteristics A total of 804 women visiting clinics for antenatal care were interviewed (400 at a public and 404 at a private facility). The age of the respondents (see Table 1) ranged from 14 to 50 years with a mean age of 26 years and a median of 25 years. Inquiry into the retrospective fertility of the respondents showed that 234 (29.1%) were primigravidae, 525 (65.3%) were multigravidae, and 43 (5.3%) were grandmultigravidae. Most respondents (86.4%) had had some formal education and 98.8% were married; a relatively large proportion were petty traders (37.2%) or artisans (20.6%) (see Table 1). Respondents’ knowledge of HIV/AIDS The respondents demonstrated a high level of awareness of HIV/AIDS. Most of the women (723; 89.8%) had heard of the disease. Statistical tests showed that the place where antenatal care is sought affects the women’s awareness of HIV/AIDS, as 96% of women attending public hospitals as
Table 1: Education and marital status of the respondents (n = 804)
Age (years)
No.
%
African Journal of AIDS Research Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/raar20
Knowledge and perception of HIV/AIDS among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Ogun State, Nigeria Adeniyi K Adeneye , Margaret A Mafe , Adejuwon A Adeneye , Kabiru K Salami , William R Brieger , Musbau A Titiloye , Taiwo A Adewole & Philip U Agomo Published online: 11 Nov 2009.
To cite this article: Adeniyi K Adeneye , Margaret A Mafe , Adejuwon A Adeneye , Kabiru K Salami , William R Brieger , Musbau A Titiloye , Taiwo A Adewole & Philip U Agomo (2006) Knowledge and perception of HIV/AIDS among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Ogun State, Nigeria, African Journal of AIDS Research, 5:3, 273-279, DOI: 10.2989/16085900609490389 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.2989/16085900609490389
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http:// www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
African Journal of AIDS Research 2006, 5(3): 273–279 Printed in South Africa — All rights reserved
Copyright © NISC Pty Ltd
AJAR EISSN 1727–9445
Knowledge and perception of HIV/AIDS among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Ogun State, Nigeria Adeniyi K Adeneye1*, Margaret A Mafe1, Adejuwon A Adeneye2, Kabiru K Salami3, William R Brieger4, Musbau A Titiloye5, Taiwo A Adewole1 and Philip U Agomo1 1
Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, PMB 2013, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria Department of Pharmacology, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria 3 Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria 4 Health Systems Programme, Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N Wolfe Street, Room E8141, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States of America 5 Department of Health Promotion and Education, African Regional Health Education Centre, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria * Corresponding author, e-mail: [email protected]
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2
Mother-to-child transmission of HIV (MTCT) is responsible for more than 90% of the cases of HIV infection in infants and children in sub-Saharan Africa. Accurate data on the knowledge and perceptions of HIV/AIDS among women attending antenatal clinics in Nigeria are scarce. A cross-sectional survey of 804 women attending antenatal clinics in Ogun State, South-West Nigeria was done using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Approximately 90% of the women respondents had heard of HIV/AIDS, but only about 27% knew HIV could be transmitted from mother to child; of those, almost 94% believed in the reality of HIV disease; in contrast, the majority (64%) believed they were not at risk of HIV infection, and a slightly greater proportion (70%) did not understand the benefits of voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT). Nonetheless, almost 90% of respondents were willing to know their status following health education about VCT. Those that were older, attending public hospitals, and with a higher level of education had more knowledge and better perceptions about HIV. The results suggest an urgent need for public health education on HIV/AIDS and the benefits of VCT to control MTCT, particularly targeting young women and those with little or no education. Keywords: access to healthcare, Africa, attitudes, mother-to-child transmission of HIV, voluntary counselling and testing
Introduction A seldom-acknowledged impact of the AIDS epidemic is the degree to which it is eroding the improvements in child survival in Africa achieved over the past few decades (Piot & Coll-Seck, 1999; WHO, 2002). UNAIDS (1997) and WHO (2001) estimated, respectively, that over 0.5 million and 0.8 million neonates worldwide had been infected with HIV during delivery or breastfeeding, while Nieburg & Stannecki (1998) reported that more than two million HIV-positive women worldwide had given birth. The problem is most acute in sub-Saharan Africa where nearly 90% of infected children live (WHO, 2002). Piot & Coll-Seck (1999) cited that of the ten countries with the largest number of infected children worldwide, the top nine were in sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria ranking second with 99 000 HIVinfected children. The majority of infected children acquire HIV through mother-to-child transmission (Anderson, May, Bolly, Garnett & Rowley, 1991; UNAIDS/UNICEF/WHO, 1998), which contributes significantly to infant mortality (Cheek & Chin,
1990; The Working Group on Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, 1995; Biggar, Miotti, Taha, Mtimavalye, Broadhead, Justesen, Yellin, Liomba, Miley, Walters, Chiphangwi & Goedert, 1996). In Nigeria, mother-to-child transmission of HIV (MTCT) accounts for 3–10% of all cases of infection, and MTCT is on the rise. Factors contributing to this increase in the country include: perceived low vulnerability to HIV infection enforced by misconceptions about the mechanisms of HIV transmission; fear of social stigma if known to be HIV-positive; infected mothers not knowing their sero-status and proceeding to breastfeed their children; difficulty accessing antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for many HIV-positive persons; and lack of voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT) services at most health facilities, particularly in rural communities (National AIDS/STDs Control Programme, 2002). Results of the Nigeria Demographic Health Survey of 2003 showed that among pregnant women attending antenatal care clinics only 24.3% (44.4% urban and 16.2%
Downloaded by [134.117.10.200] at 09:18 31 December 2014
274
rural) had been counselled about HIV; 79.2% of women and 82.5% of men had never been tested for HIV; and, 46% of women as compared to 56.4% of men knew that mother-tochild transmission is possible. In addition, 60% of pregnant women (83% of urban and 51% of rural women surveyed) made use of antenatal care services, while 2.5% had visited traditional birth attendants (TBAs). But only 32.6% (54.2% urban and 23.8% rural) had their babies delivered in a health facility, while 66.4% had delivered at home (National Population Commission & ORC Marco, 2004). Antenatal VCT is one of several interventions used to reduce MTCT. In a survey of health and laboratory facilities in all six zones of Nigeria, the data that were collated and analysed concerning an individual’s reason for HIV testing at the surveyed laboratory facilities showed that only 16.3% of those surveyed had used voluntary testing services (Idigbe, Ibrahim, Ubane, Onwujekwe, Esan, Otoh & Adedoyin, 2000). However, accurate data on the acceptability of HIV testing among pregnant women in Nigeria are scarce, but given the trend of rising HIV infection among pregnant women (National AIDS/STDs Control Programme, 1999) and the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding in the country (Esan, 1997), one would expect a high incidence of motherto-child HIV transmission. Even so, the success of antenatal VCT is dependent upon women’s and communities’ knowledge and perceptions of HIV. Despite increasing HIV prevalence among women using antenatal clinics in Nigeria (National AIDS/STDs Control Programme, 2002), very little is known about their knowledge and perceptions of HIV. Such information is important for understanding and determining the likelihood that pregnant women will accept and seek VCT — which would contribute to preventing MTCT, through increased acceptability and demand for confidential antenatal HIV testing, and so prepare for the scaling-up of Nevirapine therapy in the country. Knowledge of this is important if any serious impact is to be made by 2010 to meet the internationally agreed global goal (declared by governments during the United Nations General Assembly Special Session [UNGASS] on HIV/AIDS in June 2001) to reduce by at least one-third the mortality of infants and children under age five during the decade 2001–2010, and by two-thirds by 2015. These goals are to be achieved by reducing the proportion of the infant population infected with HIV by 2% by 2005, and by 50% by 2010, by ensuring that 80% of pregnant women accessing antenatal care have information, counselling and other HIV-prevention services available to them; increasing the availability and access to treatment to reduce MTCT; effective interventions for HIVpositive women including VCT; access to treatment using antiretroviral therapy and, where appropriate, breastmilk substitutes; and the provision of a continuum of care (WHO, 2003a and 2003b). This is vital in view of the overriding goal of Nigeria’s national policy on HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which is to reduce HIV prevalence to less than 1% of the country’s population by 2010 (National AIDS/STDs Control Programme, 2002). Realising this, it becomes imperative to investigate pregnant women’s knowledge and perceptions about HIV, particularly as it concerns transmission to infants during birth or breastfeeding (Berer, 1999). Because the preven-
Adeneye, Mafe, Adeneye, Salami, Brieger, Titiloye, Adewole and Agomo
tion of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (pMTCT) programme with Nevirapine therapy for HIV-positive pregnant women has commenced in selected health institutions across the country (National AIDS/STDs Control Programme, 2002), data on the grassroots knowledge of pregnant women can inform planning, policy development, advocacy and counselling plans. Methods The study was carried out in Ijebu North local government area (LGA) of Ogun State, South-West Nigeria (one of 20 LGAs in the state, located 140km northeast of Lagos). Ijebu is predominantly Yoruba-speaking, with an estimated population of approximately 190 000 in 2001. The health system in the country is based on ‘out-of-pocket expenses.’ While most government health facilities are ill-equipped and often not easily accessible, private clinics are usually expensive. Alternately, many people patronise herbal doctors, village health workers, and traditional birth attendants (TBAs) who each provide healthcare services in the communities in which they live (Umar, Olumide & Bawa, 2003). Typically, only when there is dire need for more professional healthcare, and as a last resort, do people go to the nearest public health clinic. The study used semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaires to interview 804 pregnant women exiting antenatal clinics in both public and private health facilities, between May and August 2003. Twenty-two (11 public and 11 private) of the 34 public and private health facilities in the LGA were randomly selected and visited. The sampling frame was the list of pregnant women registered for antenatal care; the names of those interviewed on exit from the clinics were noted on each visit to the selected health facilities in order to avoid duplication of respondents. Questions included background information such as age, religion, level of education, marital status, type of marriage, and occupation of the respondent. In addition, the questions probed the respondents’ awareness of an HIV test as one of various tests expected at an antenatal clinic, and the clients’ knowledge of diseases that could be spread by blood. Finally, several questions probed respondents’ knowledge and perceptions of HIV/AIDS, namely: knowledge and awareness of the modes of HIV transmission, signs and symptoms of AIDS, prevention of HIV infection, and the possibility of mother-to-child HIV transmission. The questionnaires were pre-tested in an LGA adjoining the study communities. Following the data collection, the questionnaires were screened, edited for clarity, completeness and uniformity of the responses, and then coded. The coded data were entered using Epi info. Statistical analyses of the data set included univariate analysis to show the relative frequency distribution of each variable on the questionnaire, and bivariate and multivariate analyses at a 95% level of significance to examine simple and multiple associations between selected independent and dependent variables relative to the objectives of the study. The Institutional Review Board of Boston University, USA, and the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research approved the study protocol before its field implementation. Similarly,
African Journal of AIDS Research 2006, 5(3): 273–279
275
Downloaded by [134.117.10.200] at 09:18 31 December 2014
Results Respondents’ background characteristics A total of 804 women visiting clinics for antenatal care were interviewed (400 at a public and 404 at a private facility). The age of the respondents (see Table 1) ranged from 14 to 50 years with a mean age of 26 years and a median of 25 years. Inquiry into the retrospective fertility of the respondents showed that 234 (29.1%) were primigravidae, 525 (65.3%) were multigravidae, and 43 (5.3%) were grandmultigravidae. Most respondents (86.4%) had had some formal education and 98.8% were married; a relatively large proportion were petty traders (37.2%) or artisans (20.6%) (see Table 1). Respondents’ knowledge of HIV/AIDS The respondents demonstrated a high level of awareness of HIV/AIDS. Most of the women (723; 89.8%) had heard of the disease. Statistical tests showed that the place where antenatal care is sought affects the women’s awareness of HIV/AIDS, as 96% of women attending public hospitals as
Table 1: Education and marital status of the respondents (n = 804)
Age (years)
No.
%
