Was there evidence of occupational exposure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among nurse midwives ten years into the epidemic in Zambia?

A cross sectional study was conducted to determine occupational factors associated with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)) infection. The survey covered 30 health institutions throughout Zambia. A total of 370 consenting midwives took part in the study. The main outcome measures were percentage of midwives reporting adverse occupational exposures and HIV status. Out of 370 midwives, 146 (39.5%) were positive for HIV infection. Of the 370 respondents, 48 (13.0%) thought that they were HIV infected. None of these 48 midwives thought she became infected because of occupational exposure to HIV infected blood. A total of 324 (87.6%) said that they were concerned about becoming HIV positive at work. ;Needle stick injury' was reported by 321 (88.2%) midwives. The percentages of midwives reporting hand washing after every contact with a patient, using gloves all of the time and wearing aprons were 54.0%, 53.7% and 44.1% respectively. None of the occupational factors was associated with HIV infection. In conclusion, although there was no evidence to suggest occupational exposure to HIV among midwives, adherence to universal precautions was poor. Midwives should be educated about these precautions.