AEGiS-13IAC: Prevalence and correlates of partner notification regarding HIV-1 in an antenatal setting in Nairobi, Kenya.

13th International AIDS Conference

Durban, South Africa - July 9-July 14, 2000

Prevalence and correlates of partner notification regarding HIV-1 in an antenatal setting in Nairobi, Kenya.

Int Conf AIDS 2000 Jul 9-14; 13:(abstract no. TuOrC307)

Farquhar C, Mbori Ngacha D, Bosire R, Nduati R, Kreiss J, John G
C. Farquhar, University of Washington, c/o Grace John, Microbiology Annex, P.O. Box 19676, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya, Tel.: +254 2 719 604, Fax: +254 2 722762, E-mail: cfarq@ratn.org

BACKGROUND: Pregnant HIV-1 seropositive women often require the financial and emotional support of their partners to access interventions to decrease transmission of HIV-1 to their infants. Determinants of partner notification among HIV-1 seropositive pregnant women are poorly defined.

METHODS: Pregnant women attending 5 Nairobi clinics were voluntarily counseled and HIV tested from August-December 1999. Basic demographic information was obtained for all women at the time of screening and HIV-1 seropositive women were referred for further counseling.

RESULTS: Of 4,380 pregnant women offered HIV-1 testing, 4,142 (95%) accepted testing and 3,489 (84%) returned for results, of whom 511 (15%) were HIV-1 seropositive. Among 104 HIV-1 seropositive women enrolled, 67 (65%) reported informing their partners and 28 (27%) brought their partners for HIV-1 counseling. Among the 22 (79%) men who accepted HIV-1 testing, 62% (14/22) were HIV-1 seropositive. Partner notification was significantly associated with marriage (OR = 17.3, 95% CI 5.2-57.8), age > 24 yrs (cohort median) (OR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.2-6.8), and low socioeconomic status (OR = 3.8, 95% CI 1.3-11.0). Women who informed their partners were more likely to choose formula feeding over breastfeeding than women who did not inform their partners (OR = 3.2, 95% CI .9-12.0). In a multivariate analysis controlling for marital status, age, and socioeconomic status, women who informed were 10 times more likely to formula feed than those who did not inform their partners (OR = 10, 95% CI 1.4-71.1). Reasons for not informing partners included fear of blame (54%), physical abuse (42%), and abandonment (19%).

CONCLUSION: Partner notification was associated with marital status, age, and socioeconomic status. To increase pregnant women's access to perinatal HIV-1 interventions, such as antiretrovirals and formula feeding, partners must be incorporated into the HIV-1 counseling and testing process in a safe and effective manner.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV-1, Prevalence, Contact Tracing, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, Counseling, Breast Feeding, Kenya, Human, Female, Male, Infant, Pregnancy, epidemiology
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