Mbingo Baptist Hospital, Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services, Cameroon, Africa.
J Midwifery Womens Health. 2013 Jan-Feb;58(1):83-91. doi: 10.1111/j.1542-2011.2012.00208.x.
Although the HIV epidemic has stabilized worldwide, it remains a public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. The key strategy to prevention and control of HIV remains voluntary counseling and testing. In sub-Saharan Africa, 76% of pregnant women have at least one antenatal visit. Therefore, antenatal care is a venue through which women can access HIV testing, and, if infected, obtain care for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT). Public health organizations have promoted increasing HIV testing of men by incorporating partner testing into antenatal care. Recent studies have shown that African women may not be receptive to their partner's involvement in obstetric care secondary to cultural attitudes and traditional beliefs.
A quality improvement project surveyed women to identify their attitudes and beliefs concerning antenatal care, PMTCT, and partner's participation in antenatal care and testing.
Women viewed antenatal care as important to having a positive pregnancy outcome and the primary venue through which they accessed HIV testing. Most women (83.8%) were receptive to their partners' involvement in antenatal care and identified increased partner participation over the past 5 years. Women (98.2%) said men's primary role was payment for obstetric care. Cultural and gender-based attitudes and beliefs were identified as barriers to HIV testing of men.
Women viewed antenatal care as important to a positive pregnancy outcome with access dependent on their families' finances and their partners' ability and willingness to pay for their care. Although pregnancy has traditionally been viewed as a women's affair, the majority of women wanted their partners to participate in their care, including receiving HIV counseling and testing. Women identified men's involvement as an individual belief, saying that many in their community were not supportive of male participation in antenatal care. Multiple options, including couples testing in antenatal clinics, should be available to increase HIV testing in men.
尽管全球艾滋病疫情已趋于稳定，但在撒哈拉以南非洲地区，它仍然是一个公共卫生挑战。预防和控制艾滋病的关键策略仍然是自愿咨询和检测。在撒哈拉以南非洲地区，76%的孕妇至少接受过一次产前检查。因此，产前护理是妇女接受艾滋病检测的场所，如果感染，她们可以获得预防母婴传播（PMTCT）的护理。公共卫生组织通过将伴侣检测纳入产前护理，提倡增加男性的艾滋病检测。最近的研究表明，由于文化态度和传统观念，非洲妇女可能不接受其伴侣参与产科护理。
一项质量改进项目对妇女进行了调查，以了解她们对产前护理、PMTCT 和伴侣参与产前护理和检测的态度和信念。
妇女认为产前护理对妊娠结局呈阳性很重要，是她们获得艾滋病检测的主要场所。大多数妇女（83.8%）愿意让伴侣参与产前护理，并在过去 5 年中发现伴侣参与度有所增加。妇女（98.2%）表示，男子的主要角色是支付产科护理费用。文化和基于性别的态度和信念被认为是男子艾滋病检测的障碍。
妇女认为产前护理对妊娠结局呈阳性很重要，而能否获得产前护理则取决于其家庭的财务状况和伴侣支付费用的能力和意愿。虽然怀孕传统上被视为女性的事情，但大多数女性希望伴侣参与她们的护理，包括接受艾滋病咨询和检测。妇女将男子的参与视为个人信念，并表示她们所在社区的许多人不支持男子参与产前护理。应该提供多种选择，包括在产前诊所进行夫妻检测，以增加男性的艾滋病检测。
