PMID- 28646888 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20180417 LR - 20181202 IS - 1471-2393 (Electronic) IS - 1471-2393 (Linking) VI - 17 IP - 1 DP - 2017 Jun 24 TI - Utilization of HIV testing services among pregnant mothers in low income primary care settings in northern Ethiopia: a cross sectional study. PG - 199 LID - 10.1186/s12884-017-1389-2 [doi] LID - 199 AB - BACKGROUND: HIV testing of women in child bearing age is an entry point for preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV (MTCT). This study aims to identify the proportion of women tested for HIV and to determine factors associated with utilization of HIV testing services among pregnant mothers in primary care settings in northern Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted in 416 pregnant women from four primary care centers between October 2, 2012 and May 31, 2013 in East Gojjam, Ethiopia. RESULTS: The proportion of mothers who tested for HIV was 277(67%). Among mothers who were not tested for HIV, lack of HIV risk perception (n = 68, 49%) was a major self-reported barrier for HIV testing. A multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that those pregnant women who had comprehensive knowledge about MTCT had an Adjusted Odd Ratio (AOR) of 3.73 (95% CI: 1.56, 8.94), having comprehensive knowledge on prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV an AOR of 2.56 (95% CI: 1.26, 5.19), and a favorable attitude towards persons living with HIV an AOR of 2.42 (95%CI, 1.20, 4.86) were more likely to be tested for HIV. CONCLUSION: One third of pregnant women had never been tested for HIV until the time of the study. Efforts should be made to improve mother's knowledge about MTCT and PMTCT to increase uptake of HIV testing. Enhancing mother's HIV risk perception to scale up HIV testing in resource limited setting is highly recommended. FAU - Alemu, Yihun Mulugeta AU - Alemu YM AD - Institute of Public Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany. yihun.mulugeta@yahoo.com. AD - School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. yihun.mulugeta@yahoo.com. FAU - Ambaw, Fentie AU - Ambaw F AD - School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. FAU - Wilder-Smith, Annelies AU - Wilder-Smith A AD - Institute of Public Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany. LA - eng PT - Journal Article DEP - 20170624 PL - England TA - BMC Pregnancy Childbirth JT - BMC pregnancy and childbirth JID - 100967799 SB - IM MH - AIDS Serodiagnosis/*statistics & numerical data MH - Adolescent MH - Adult MH - Cross-Sectional Studies MH - Ethiopia MH - Female MH - HIV Infections/*diagnosis/psychology/transmission MH - Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice MH - Humans MH - Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical/prevention & control MH - Patient Acceptance of Health Care/psychology/*statistics & numerical data MH - Poverty/psychology/statistics & numerical data MH - Pregnancy MH - Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/*diagnosis/psychology/virology MH - Pregnant Women/psychology MH - Prenatal Diagnosis/methods/psychology/*statistics & numerical data MH - Primary Health Care/statistics & numerical data MH - Young Adult PMC - PMC5483315 OTO - NOTNLM OT - HIV testing OT - Pregnant mothers OT - Utilization COIS- ETHICS APPROVAL AND CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE: Ethics approval was obtained from Bahir Dar University College of Medicine and Health Science research and ethical review committee. Written permission to conduct the study was obtained from each health institution (Motta, Gindowin, Debrewerk, and Bichena) involved in the study. Informed written consents were obtained from study participants whose age was 18 years and more. This study also included participants between 16 years of age and 18 years; therefore, written assents from the teenagers and written permissions from their parents were obtained. Since there were illiterate participants and parents, the data collectors inform participants and parents about informed consents and assents. Willingness to participate in the study and parental permission was confirmed by signing (finger print for illiterates) on the informed consent sheet. CONSENT FOR PUBLICATION: Not applicable. COMPETING INTERESTS: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. EDAT- 2017/06/26 06:00 MHDA- 2018/04/18 06:00 PMCR- 2017/06/24 CRDT- 2017/06/26 06:00 PHST- 2015/10/01 00:00 [received] PHST- 2017/06/20 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2017/06/26 06:00 [entrez] PHST- 2017/06/26 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2018/04/18 06:00 [medline] PHST- 2017/06/24 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - 10.1186/s12884-017-1389-2 [pii] AID - 1389 [pii] AID - 10.1186/s12884-017-1389-2 [doi] PST - epublish SO - BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2017 Jun 24;17(1):199. doi: 10.1186/s12884-017-1389-2.