Assessment of Knowledge and Attitude towards Prevention of Mother-To Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS among Antenatal Care Client in Mizan-Aman Town Public Health Facilities, Benchi-Maji Zone, South Nation Nationalities and People Region, Southwest Ethiopia, 2017

Abstract

Background: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome epidemic is the greatest challenge to human kind in the 21st century. Mother-to-child transmission of human immune deficiency virus infection is the transmission of the virus from an HIV-infected mother to her child during pregnancy, labour, delivery or breastfeeding. Objective: To assess knowledge and attitude towards mother-to-child transmission of Human immunodeficiency virus among pregnant women attending ante natal care at Mizan-Aman town public health facilities, Benchi-Maji zone, southwest Ethiopia, 2017. Methods: Health facility based cross sectional study was conducted at Mizan-Aman town health facilities from April 25-May 22, 2017. Systematic sampling technique was used select all pregnant women who fulfil the inclusion criteria and attending 1st antenatal care visit during the study period was included in the study with every two sampling interval until the desired sample size achieved. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The collected data was checked for completeness and analyzed manually by using SPSS. The result of the study was summarized by using frequency tables, graphs, and narrative description. Result: According to this study, 112 (65.9%) of the respondents had good knowledge about MTCT of HIV/AIDS and majority of the respondents, 128 (75.3%) were knew that HIV can be transmitted from infected mother to her child. Among the total respondents, 108 (63.5%) strongly agree with the idea that important of every pregnant women to be tested for HIV. Majority of the respondents, 129 (75.9%), have positive attitude towards prevention Mother-To-Child transmission. Conclusion: This study revealed that, majority of the respondents had good knowledge towards MTCT of HIV/AIDS. Majority of the respondents know that HIV/AIDS can be transmitted from infected mother to her child, but their knowledge on specific time when the virus is transmitted is not adequate. It also showed that most of the respondents had positive attitude towards PMCT.