Open AccessMale partner involvement in HIV testing and counseling among partners of pregnant women in the Delanta District, Ethiopia
Author(s) -
Haile Chanyalew,
Eshetu Girma,
Tesfaye Birhane,
Muluken Genetu Chanie
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0248436
Subject(s) - medicine , psychological intervention , family medicine , logistic regression , wife , voluntary counseling and testing , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , health facility , demography , environmental health , population , nursing , health services , sociology , political science , law
Background Only screening a pregnant mother is not satisfactory to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). A male partner’s involvement in HIV testing and counseling is also critical for PMTCT, however, it is one of the biggest challenges in Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess a male partner’s involvement in HIV testing and counseling and associated factors among partners of pregnant women in the Delanta District, Northern Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted in the Delanta District from March 15 to May 10, 2018. During the study period, 609 male partners were involved. A binary and multiple logistic regression model was used to examine the association between variables. Results Out of all, 325 (53.7% at 95% CI: 49.6 to 57.5) of male partners were involved in HIV testing and counseling in the District. Male partners who were living together, ever heard about HIV from health professionals, pregnant women’s antenatal care (ANC) visit, partner visited the PMTCT clinic with wife, and partner and wife discussion before HIV testing and counseling were factors associated with male partner involvement. Conclusion The proportion of male partner involvement was found to be low as compared to the national standards. Local health authorities and health care workers need to develop and conduct interventions that help partners with their wife to live together, improve their awareness about HIV and testing, ANC visit by pregnant women, and encourage having home discussion before HIV testing through counseling, by so doing finally raise the level of male partner involvement in HIV testing and counseling.