AEGiS-14IAC: Assessment of knowledge and attitudes towards HIV testing and MTCT preventive measures among two groups of immigrant women in Italy.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

Assessment of knowledge and attitudes towards HIV testing and MTCT preventive measures among two groups of immigrant women in Italy.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. D11087)

Giaquinto C, Rinaldi R, Oprandi N, Paoli LD, Mundo A, Oletto S, Volpicelli S
Dpt of Paediatrics, Padova, Italy

BACKGROUND: In the last decade Italy has been interested in a massive immigration, especially from Africa and East-Europe and the distribution of AIDS cases increased from 3.6 to 14.4% over 10-year-period. OBJECTIVES: To improve the health assistance to immigrants and in particular to prevent the mother-to-child-transmission of HIV (MTCT). This project is a part of a wider EU funded project.

METHODS: Women's knowledge on preventing MTCT as well as the women's attitudes towards HIV testing, diagnosis and methods of prevention were evaluated by means of two focus groups (FG) including 10 Albanian childbearing-age women (FG a)and 10 sub-Saharan Africa women (FGb). Women were included regardless of their HIV status. The FG were used to identify women's needs in order to implement prevention of MTCT.

RESULTS: Women from both groups showed to have little information on how the NHS works and existing services as well as on HIV transmission, MTCT prevention and treatment. The main barriers towards the HIV test are: the fear of testing positive, confidentiality and fear of being abandoned by their partner. Fear of testing positive and not feeling at risk are indicated by FGa. African women have a negative attitude towards medication during pregnancy, bottle feeding and caesarean section. Lack of information on treatment favour a fatalistic attitude towards the test and MTCT preventive measures. Albanian women also expressed some fears towards MTCT prevention measures.

CONCLUSIONS: Albanians know more on HIV, have less difficulties in relating with doctors, less cultural resistances towards HIV testing and adoption of MTCT preventive measures than African women. Bureaucratic and costs problems were also major problems in this group. Fear of being reported by the police as well as of being ostracised by their community and cultural factors showed to be strong deterrents towards HIV testing and adopting MTCT preventive measures by African women.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV Infections, Knowledge, Emigration and Immigration, Research Design, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Seropositivity, Bottle Feeding, Africa, Italy, Europe, Africa South of the Sahara, Human, Female, Child, Pregnancy, prevention & control

020707
D11087