Impact of Health Education on the Awareness and Acceptability of Strategies for Preventing, Mother to Child Transmission of HIV among Antenatal Clients

Impact of Health Education on the Awareness and Acceptability of Strategies for Preventing, Mother to Child Transmission of HIV among Antenatal Clients in Enugu

Abstract

Context: Majority of paediatric HIV/AIDS are from infected mothers. Adequate prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV is a priority. Health education may affect our knowledge and practice of such prevention.

Objective: To determine the impact or health education on the awareness ,and acceptability of strategies for’ prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV among antenatal clients in Enugu. . , :’\ Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study of the impact of health education strategies for PMTCT. Results: A total of 150 antenatal clients were studied. Their mean age was 29.9 ±4.0. Ninety four point seven percent (94.7%) were married and 60% of them had post secondarv education. There was high level of awareness and acceptability of PMTCT measures amongst the respondents. ()1I1 or the 150 respondents, 123 (82.0%) identified correctly the meaning of HIV, 140(93.3% ) were aware it can affect the newborn. 105 (75%) knew how it is transmitted and 135 (90.0%) had awareness that we can prevent mother to child transmission of HIV. It was found that 130 (86.6%) or the respondents would accept some measures for PMTCT. Awareness that HIV can affect new born increased from 130 (93.3%) to 145 (96.7%) following health education while those who would accept PNTCT measures increased from 130 (86.6%) to 146 (97.4%). These increases were statistically significant (p 0.05). Conclusions: Health education had a positive and significant impact on the awareness and acceptability of prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV amongst antenatal clients in Enugu.