Browsing by Author "Ngarina, Matilda Michael"

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    Acceptance of counseling HIV testing and prophylactic use of Nevirapine in labour and immediate puerperium at Muhimbili national hospital, Tanzania.
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2005) Ngarina, Matilda Michael
    Background: Mother to child transmission contributes significantly to the incidence of HIV in our country. A PMTCT program exists in MNH and some surrounding public hospitals since 2000. In spite of this it has been observed that a substantial number of women delivering at MNH have not had VCT and therefore are not benefit from the PMTCT intervention. Objective: To determine the acceptance of counseling, voluntary HIV testing and prophylactic use of Nevirapine among pregnant women during labour / immediate postpartum at Muhimbili National Hospital. Methodology: Study setting: The labour ward of Muhimbili National Hospital. Study design: Descriptive Cross-sectional study. Study population: All pregnant women delivering at MNH during the study period of 3 months. (12thAugust-4thNovember 2004) Sample size: 885 women with unknown sero-status and 355 women who were sero-negative more than 3 months prior to delivery. Data collection: Trained counselors invited all women who met inclusion criteria as they were admitted. Women who accepted counseling were taken to private rooms for discussion and those who consented were screened for HIV using rapid tests. Direct observed therapy with Nevirapine was done. Data was filled in a structured questionnaire. Results: The overall acceptance of pre-test counseling in labour among women with unknown sero-status was 71.7%, and voluntary HIV testing 56%. Among women with unknown sero-status who accepted pre-test counseling in labour, 78.9% accepted HTV testing and 8.6% of these were diagnosed to be HIV infected. The overall acceptance of pre-test counseling in labour among those who were sero-negative more than 3 months prior to delivery was 70.5% while that of counseling and voluntary HIV testing was 64.1%. Ninety-one percent of women in this group accepted HIV testing in labour ward and 6% were diagnosed to be HIV infected. Eighty-three percent of women diagnosed to be HTV infected from the unknown sero-status group accepted NVP while all HTV infected women from the group of women who were initially sero-negative accepted prophylactic Nevirapine. Conclusion and recommendation: The results of this study show that HIV testing during labour and use of prophylactic ARV is acceptable in our setting. Acceptance of counseling, testing and use of NVP was higher among women who had HTV test during antenatal period compared to women who were admitted with unknown serostatus. Women with unknown serostatus in labour and those with a negative test more than three months prior to admission in the labour ward should be offered counseling and testing services in order to prevent MTCT of HIV.