Factors associated with HIV testing among pregnant women in Rwanda: A nationwide cross-sectional survey

Authors

Lilian Nuwabaine, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Joseph Kawuki, Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SARChinaFollow
Angella Namulema, Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, Mbarara, Uganda
John Baptist Asiimwe, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Quraish Sserwanja, Programmes Department, Relief International, Khartoum, SudanFollow
Ghislaine Gatasi, 5 Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
Elorm Donkor, Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR- China

Document Type

Article

Department

School of Nursing and Midwifery, East Africa

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing during pregnancy is crucial for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, through aiding prompt treatment, care, and support. However, few studies have explored HIV testing among pregnant women in Rwanda. This study, therefore, aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of HIV testing among pregnant women in Rwanda. We used secondary data from the 2020 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS), comprising 870 pregnant women. Multistage stratified sampling was used by the RDHS team to select participants. We conducted bivariable and multivariable logistic regression to explore factors associated with HIV testing using SPSS (version 25). Of the 870 pregnant women, 94.0% had tested for HIV during their current pregnancy. Younger age (24–34 years), not working, large household size, multiple sex partners, as well as secondary, primary, and no education were associated with higher odds of HIV testing compared to their respective counterparts. However, being unmarried, belonging to the western region, having not visited a health facility, and not having comprehensive HIV knowledge were associated with lower odds of HIV testing. A high proportion of pregnant women had tested for HIV. The study revealed that individual-level factors had the greatest influence on HIV testing in pregnancy, with a few household-level factors showing significance. There is a need for maternal health stakeholders to design and develop HIV testing programs that are region-sensitive. These programs should target older, more educated, working, and unmarried women with limited HIV knowledge.

Publication (Name of Journal)

PLOS Glob Public Health

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0002728

Recommended Citation

Nuwabaine L, Kawuki J, Namulema A, Asiimwe JB, Sserwanja Q, Gatasi G, et al. (2024) Factors associated with HIV testing among pregnant women in Rwanda: A nationwide crosssectional survey. PLOS Glob Public Health 4(1): https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pgph.0002728

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License