Pregnant women’s satisfaction and comprehension level of information given during HIV Counseling and Testing for PMTCT in public health facilities in Addis Ababa

Background: In Ethiopia PMTCT services began in 2003, but only 0.8% of HIV infections among births to HIV positive mothers were averted in 2005/6 through PMTCT. Objective: To determine the pregnant women’s satisfaction and comprehension level of the information given during pre- and post- HIV counselling and testing for PMTCT in public health centers in Addis Ababa City. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on purposively selected 10 health centers in Addis Ababa from April to May 2008. Data were collected at exit points using a pre-tested structured questionnaire adapted from UNAIDS tools. Descriptive and analytic statistics were computed. Result: Of the 422 women interviewed, 314 (74.6%) had discussion on MTCT/PMTCT; and 287 (91.4%) of those 314 reported to have comprehended the information. Of the 196 third trimester mothers, 83 (42.3%) were counselled on infant feeding options; among whom 59 (71.1%) reported to have comprehended the explanations well. Two hundred eighty-eight (68.4%) of the 422 clients had held discussions on HIV/AIDS; and 261 (90.6%) reported that they had understood the discussions well. The odds of knowing why HCT is offered during pregnancy was higher among clients who spent 5-15 minutes on discussion with their counsellors [OR=2.1, 95%CI: 1.03, 4.24]. Conclusion: About 3/4th of the ANC clients were covered with PMTCT counseling in the ANC and the vast majority of the women interviewed reported that they were satisfied with the counselling and counsellors’ interactions with them. However, when prompted at the exit points, 21% of the mothers didn’t know why they were offered HCT particularly during pregnancy. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2011;25(2):126-134]