BACKGROUND: The high seroprevalence of HIV in Nigeria contributing to a huge burden of paediatric infection and with wide disparities in the various zones of the country needs to be addressed. The main strategy involves the prevention of mother to child transmission (MTCT) of HIV which remains the cornerstone of preventing the next generation from acquiring HIV. OBJECTIVES: To ascertain the knowledge and attitude of pregnant women in Northwest Nigeria to HIV and MTCT despite the low literacy level in the rural community. METHODS: This was a cross sectional study in which 450 pregnant women attending the booking clinic of a tertiary institution were recruited and interviewed using an interviewer administered semi-structured pre-tested questionnaires. The questionnaire assessed the pregnant women's knowledge related to HIV, MTCT of HIV, its prevention and respondents' attitude towards it. RESULTS: Of the 450 respondents, majority (96.2%) were aware of HIV. Most of them (78%) had adequate knowledge of MTCT of HIV. About half of the respondents knew that MTCT of HIV could be prevented by not breastfeeding, few agreed with taking of antiretroviral during pregnancy (28%) and giving new born antiretroviral (20.2%) as ways of preventing MTCT. CONCLUSION: The respondents in this study had a high level of awareness of HIV/AIDS, a good general knowledge of MTCT and attitude towards PMTCT but a below average knowledge of specific interventions on prevention of MTCT of HIV.
BACKGROUND: The high seroprevalence of HIV in Nigeria contributing to a huge burden of paediatric infection and with wide disparities in the various zones of the country needs to be addressed. The main strategy involves the prevention of mother to child transmission (MTCT) of HIV which remains the cornerstone of preventing the next generation from acquiring HIV. OBJECTIVES: To ascertain the knowledge and attitude of pregnant women in Northwest Nigeria to HIV and MTCT despite the low literacy level in the rural community. METHODS: This was a cross sectional study in which 450 pregnant women attending the booking clinic of a tertiary institution were recruited and interviewed using an interviewer administered semi-structured pre-tested questionnaires. The questionnaire assessed the pregnant women's knowledge related to HIV, MTCT of HIV, its prevention and respondents' attitude towards it. RESULTS: Of the 450 respondents, majority (96.2%) were aware of HIV. Most of them (78%) had adequate knowledge of MTCT of HIV. About half of the respondents knew that MTCT of HIV could be prevented by not breastfeeding, few agreed with taking of antiretroviral during pregnancy (28%) and giving new born antiretroviral (20.2%) as ways of preventing MTCT. CONCLUSION: The respondents in this study had a high level of awareness of HIV/AIDS, a good general knowledge of MTCT and attitude towards PMTCT but a below average knowledge of specific interventions on prevention of MTCT of HIV.