Citation

Turan JM, Bukusi EA, Onono M, Holzemer WL, Miller S, Cohen CR. AIDS Behav. 2011; 15(6): 1111-1120.

Affiliation

Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San Francisco, 50 Beale St., Suite 1200, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA, Janet.Turan@ucsf.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10461-010-9798-5

PMID

20827573

PMCID

PMC3127002

Abstract

HIV/AIDS stigma is a common thread in the narratives of pregnant women affected by HIV/AIDS globally and may be associated with refusal of HIV testing. We conducted a cross-sectional study of women attending antenatal clinics in Kenya (N = 1525). Women completed an interview with measures of HIV/AIDS stigma and subsequently information on their acceptance of HIV testing was obtained from medical records. Associations of stigma measures with HIV testing refusal were examined using multivariate logistic regression. Rates of anticipated HIV/AIDS stigma were high-32% anticipated break-up of their relationship, and 45% anticipated losing their friends. Women who anticipated male partner stigma were more than twice as likely to refuse HIV testing, after adjusting for other individual-level predictors (OR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.15-3.85). This study demonstrated quantitatively that anticipations of HIV/AIDS stigma can be barriers to acceptance of HIV testing by pregnant women and highlights the need to develop interventions that address pregnant women's fears of HIV/AIDS stigma and violence from male partners.

Language: en