Factors associated with compliance to antenatal HIV re-testing among postpartum women at Buguruni health centre in Ilala municipal council, Dar es salaam, Tanzania.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction: Human Immune Virus (HIV) re-testing at birth has the potential to decrease rates of mother-to-child transmission by identifying mothers who seroconvert after having tested negative in early pregnancy. Current guidelines recommend the inclusion of HIV testing in routine screening tests for all pregnant women. For this reason, antenatal care (ANC) represents a vital component of efforts to prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. Despite being a national policy in Tanzania, the available data suggest that the implementation rate is low. Aim: The purpose of this study is to assess factors associated with antenatal HIV re testing compliance among postpartum women in Ilala Municipality, Tanzania. Methods: A quantitative approach employed an analytical cross-sectional study design for 308 postpartum women who were selected using a systematic sampling method. Data were collected by using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 25 Descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify potential predictors among the variables. Result: Of 308, women with a mean age of 26.3(SD±5.3) who were surveyed, (203, 66.6%) complied with HIV retesting during pregnancy. The study found that women aged 25 and above, with secondary to college education, and primipara were more likely to undergo HIV re-testing. Attending four or more ANC visits, being informed about re-testing at 32-36 weeks, having social support, confidence in re-testing with a partner, and lack of perceived stigma contributed to higher re-testing odds. Conclusion and Recommendations: The study came to the conclusion that factors that greatly improve compliance with HIV retesting include age, education, primiparity, more ANC visits, timely information, social support, partner confidence, and less stigma. Therefore, give priority to programs that provide social support and education in order to improve compliance with HIV retesting, particularly for older adults and first-time moms who have more antenatal care visits.