scholarly journals Factors influencing sexually transmissible infection disclosure to male partners by HIV-positive pregnant women in Pretoria townships, South Africa: a qualitative study

Sexual Health ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Daniels ◽  
Lindsey De Vos ◽  
Winta Mogos ◽  
Dawie Olivier ◽  
Simukai Shamu ◽  
...  
PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0262392
Author(s):  
Tukiya Kanguya ◽  
Aybüke Koyuncu ◽  
Anjali Sharma ◽  
Thankian Kusanathan ◽  
Martha Mubanga ◽  
...  

Background Though antiretroviral therapy (ART) is widely available, HIV positive pregnant women in Zambia are less likely to start and remain on therapy throughout pregnancy and after delivery. This study sought to understand readiness to start ART among HIV pregnant women from the perspectives of both women and men in order to suggest more holistic programs to support women to continue life-long ART after delivery. Methods We conducted a qualitative study with HIV positive pregnant women before and after ART initiation, and men with female partners, to understand readiness to start lifelong ART. We conducted 28 in-depth interviews among women and 2 focus group discussions among male partners. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed in NVivo 12 using thematic analysis. Emerging themes from the data were organized using the social ecological framework. Results Men thought of their female partners as young and needing their supervision to initiate and stay on ART. Women agreed that disclosure and partner support were necessary preconditions to ART initiation and adherence and, expressed fear of divorce as a prominent barrier to disclosure. Maternal love and desire to look after one’s children instilled a sense of responsibility among women which motivated them to overcome individual, interpersonal and health system level barriers to initiation and adherence. Women preferred adherence strategies that were discrete, the effectiveness of which, depended on women’s intrinsic motivation. Conclusion The results support current policies in Zambia to encourage male engagement in ART care. To appeal to male partners, messaging on ART should be centered on emphasizing the importance of male involvement to ensure women remain engaged in ART care. Programs aimed at supporting postpartum ART adherence should design messages that appeal to both men’s role in couples’ joint decision-making and women’s maternal love as motivators for adherence.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy Krakowiak ◽  
Pamela Makabong’o ◽  
Marielle Goyette ◽  
John Kinuthia ◽  
Alfred Onyango Osoti ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Globally only 79% of HIV positive adults know their status and men in sub-Saharan Africa are considered a particularly hard-to-reach population for HIV testing. Home-based HIV couple testing during the antenatal period is a safe and effective method that has been used to test male partners of pregnant women. The goal of this qualitative study was to identify elements that made couple testing successful and describe important characteristics of this home-based intervention from couples’ perspectives. Methods Couples who received scheduled home-based couple testing during pregnancy in Kisumu, Kenya, were purposively sampled based on HIV status from January to May 2015. An interviewer administered all of the in-depth interviews and two coders were directly involved in the data analysis and reconciled codes several times in the process. Results Twenty-one couples were enrolled: 9 concordant HIV-negative couples, 8 HIV discordant couples, 3 HIV concordant HIV-positive couples, and 1 whose concordance status was unknown. Median age at the time of home-based couple testing was 24 and 28 years for women and men, respectively. Median relationship duration was 3 years and couples had a median of two pregnancies. The major themes that emerged were that home-based couple testing 1) removed the female burden of requesting couple testing, 2) overcame logistical barriers associated with clinic-based testing, 3) encouraged participants to overcome their fear of testing and disclosure, 4) was preferred due to privacy in the home, and 5) provided quality time with the health advisors. Importantly, some women appreciated individual testing at the clinic before couple testing and some couples preferred skilled, anonymous health advisors delivering the intervention rather than known community health workers. Conclusions The results of this qualitative study suggest that home-based couple testing during pregnancy overcame many of the barriers that limit men’s access to and uptake of clinic-based testing. It encouraged participants to overcome their fear of testing and disclosure through a setting that afforded privacy and quality time with skilled health advisors. These qualitative results may help design effective partner and couple HIV testing programs in the antenatal setting and alongside or within other assisted partner notification services.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tukiya Kanguya ◽  
Aybüke Koyuncu ◽  
Anjali Sharma ◽  
Thankian Kusanathan ◽  
Martha Mubanga ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundThough antiretroviral therapy (ART) is widely available, HIV positive pregnant women in Zambia are less likely to start and remain on therapy throughout pregnancy and after delivery. This study sought to understand readiness to start ART among HIV pregnant women from the perspectives of both women and men in order to suggest more holistic programs to support women to continue life-long ART after delivery.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study with HIV positive pregnant women before and after ART initiation, and men with female partners, to understand readiness to start lifelong ART. We conducted a total of 28 in-depth interviews among women and 2 focus group discussions among male partners. Data was transcribed verbatim and analyzed in NVivo 12 using thematic analysis. Emerging themes from the data were organized using the social ecological framework.ResultsMen thought of their female partners as young and needing their supervision to initiate and stay on ART. Women agreed that disclosure and partner support were necessary preconditions to ART initiation and adherence and expressed fear of divorce as a prominent barrier to disclosure. Maternal love and desire to look after one’s children instilled a sense of responsibility among women which motivated them to overcome individual, interpersonal and health system level barriers to initiation and adherence. Women preferred adherence strategies that were discrete, the effectiveness of which, depended on women’s intrinsic motivation.ConclusionThe results support current policies in Zambia to encourage male engagement in ART care. To appeal to male partners, messaging on ART should be centered on emphasizing the importance of male involvement to ensure women remain engaged in ART care. Programs aimed at supporting postpartum ART adherence should design messages that appeal to both men’s role in couples’ joint decision-making and women’s maternal love as motivators for adherence.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy Krakowiak ◽  
Pamela Makabong’o ◽  
Marielle Goyette ◽  
John Kinuthia ◽  
Alfred Onyango Osoti ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Globally only 79% of HIV positive adults know their status and men in sub-Saharan Africa are considered a particularly hard-to-reach population for HIV testing. Home-based HIV couple testing during the antenatal period is a safe and effective method that has been used to test male partners of pregnant women. The goal of this qualitative study was to identify elements that made couple testing successful and describe important characteristics of this home-based intervention from couples’ perspectives. Methods Couples who received scheduled home-based couple testing during pregnancy in Kisumu, Kenya, were purposively sampled based on HIV status from January to May 2015. An interviewer administered all of the in-depth interviews and two coders were directly involved in the data analysis and reconciled codes several times in the process. Results Twenty-one couples were enrolled: 9 concordant HIV-negative couples, 8 HIV discordant couples, 3 HIV concordant HIV-positive couples, and 1 whose concordance status was unknown. Median age at the time of home-based couple testing was 24 and 28 years for women and men, respectively. Median relationship duration was 3 years and couples had a median of two pregnancies. The major themes that emerged were that home-based couple testing 1) removed the female burden of requesting couple testing, 2) overcame logistical barriers associated with clinic-based testing, 3) encouraged participants to overcome their fear of testing and disclosure, 4) provided privacy in the home, and 5) provided quality time with the health advisors. Importantly, some women appreciated individual testing at the clinic before couple testing and some couples preferred skilled, anonymous health advisors delivering the intervention rather than known community health workers. Conclusions The results of this qualitative study suggest that home-based couple testing during pregnancy overcame many of the barriers that limit men’s access to and uptake of clinic-based testing. It encouraged participants to overcome their fear of testing and disclosure through a setting that afforded privacy and quality time with skilled health advisors. These qualitative results may help design effective partner and couple HIV testing programs in the antenatal setting and alongside or within other assisted partner notification services.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272199689
Author(s):  
Shewangizaw Hailemariam ◽  
Wubetu Agegnehu ◽  
Misganaw Derese

Introduction: Evidences suggest a significant decline in maternal health service uptake following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Ethiopia. However, COVID-19 related factors impacting the service uptake are not sufficiently addressed. Hence, the current study was intended to explore COVID-19 related factors influencing antenatal care service uptake in rural Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based qualitative study was conducted from September 25/2020 to November 25/2020 among selected pregnant women residing in rural districts of Bench-Sheko Zone, and healthcare providers working in the local health care facilities. Six focus group discussions and 9 in-depth interviews were made between pregnant women, and health care providers, respectively. Data was collected by health education and behavioral science professionals who also have experience in qualitative data collection procedure. Data were transcribed, translated, and analyzed thematically using Open Code 4.0 software. Result: The study revealed several COVID-19 related factors influencing the uptake of antenatal care service during the pandemic. Health facility related barriers, perceived poor quality of care during the pandemic, government measures against COVID-19, anxiety related to the pandemic, and risk minimization were the identified factors possibly influencing the current antenatal care service uptake among women in rural Bench-Sheko Zone. Conclusion: COVID-19 preventive measures, and health facility related factors and individual factors were responsible for the current decline in antenatal care service uptake. Preserving essential health care service is critical to prevent avoidable losses of maternal and child lives during the pandemic period. Hence, programs and strategies designed to maintain maternal health services particularly, antenatal care service have better take the above determinants into consideration.


Sexual Health ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Esler ◽  
Catriona Ooi

Australian guidelines for sexual history taking and sexually transmissible infection (STI) screening of HIV-positive patients do not exist. An audit was conducted to assess current practices of sexual history taking and STI testing of HIV-positive patients attending Hunter New England Sexual Health Unit.


2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Peltzer ◽  
Donald Skinner ◽  
Sakhumzi Mfecane ◽  
Olive Shisana ◽  
Ayanda Nqeketo ◽  
...  

The aim of the study was to identify factors influencing the utilisation of Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) in a resource poor setting in South Africa. Opsomming Die doel van die studie was om faktore te identifiseer wat die benutting van die Voorkoming van Moeder-tot-Kind Oordrag (VMTKO) beïnvloed in ‘n omgewing in Suid-Afrika wat arm is aan hulpbronne. *Please note: This is a reduced version of the abstract. Please refer to PDF for full text.


Sexual Health ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. K. Pitts ◽  
A. M. A Smith ◽  
A. Mischewski ◽  
C. Fairley

Objectives: To describe how men narrate the process of bodily change as a trigger to presentation for a suspected sexually transmissible infection. Methods: The study was qualitative with 18 men presenting at a specialist sexual health centre in an urban setting. Results: All men gave narratives that included accounts of bodily changes prior to presentation. The nature, severity and persistence of those changes were unrelated to subsequent diagnosis. Men responded particularly to visual changes as cues to action. Conclusions: The men exhibited limited skills in understanding the significance and the specifics of bodily change as they may relate to a sexually transmissible infection. While these men identified a broad range of changes as potentially indicative of a sexually transmissible infection, their ability to act on visceral rather than visual cues appears constrained in that they were less able to respond to the feel of their body than the way that it looked.


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