AEGiS-15IAC: Impacts of intra-partum counselling for HIV among pregnant women with no previous ANC.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Impacts of intra-partum counselling for HIV among pregnant women with no previous ANC.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. ThOrC1416)

Tchendjou P, Gake B, Tsague L, Tejiokem M, Ahidjo A, Choundong V, Kamga L, Titcheu F, Nga R, Njom Nlend A, Zekeng L, Thonnon J
Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, Garoua, Cameroon

BACKGROUND: Lack of health education in the peri-urban milieu causes a decreased or non use of ANC services, hence many women are not sensitized against AIDS and can therefore not benefit from the interventions of the PMTCT programme. Our objective was to study the impact of counselling in the labour room amongst women who had not attended ANC.

METHODS: Between April 2003 and November 2003, we carried out a descriptive and prospective study in 4 health centres. Included in this study were all pregnant women admitted into the labour room with a cervical dilatation of less than 7cm. All women who had done at least one antenatal visit were excluded. Counselling was done to the study population and blood samples for HIV test, collected from women who gave their consent. Positive samples from rapid test were confirmed by the ELISA method at the Centre Pasteur du Cameroun.

RESULTS: 571 women were retained. The average rate of acceptability of HIV testing was 93%.[95% CI: 90.6%; 95.4%]. The seroprevalence was 10.94%. [95% CI: 7.84%; 14.04%]. All women tested positive received Nevirapine tablets at least 2 hours before delivery and their children received Nevirapine syrup at birth. Comparing the average level of acceptability of testing following counselling in this population to that of pregnant women doing antenatal visits in the same health centres during the same period (69.9%), we noted a significant difference. (X[2]=101.35%; p<1%0) Also, the prevalence of 10.94% observed in the labour room seems statistically higher than the 5.98% observed in the normal PMTCT programme during the same period; whereas, this prevalence of 10.94% is close to the 9.6% found in the general population. Conclusion According to the high rate of acceptability of HIV testing and the high prevalence in the study population, counselling in the labour room is necessary in the peri-urban milieu to catch up the inappropriate or reduced use of ANC.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV Seropositivity, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Counseling, Prevalence, Nevirapine, Prenatal Care, Seroepidemiologic Studies, Prospective Studies, Pregnant Women, Humans, Female, Child, Pregnancy, prevention & control, therapy, organization & administration

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ThOrC1416