Volume 6 • Issue 3 • 1000437 Open Access Research Article J AIDS Clin Res ISSN: 2155-6113 JAR an open access journal Gidey et al., J AIDS Clin Res 2015, 6:3 DOI: 10.4172/2155-6113.1000437 Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing Service Utilization among Pregnant Mothers in North West Ethiopia In 2014 Bruke Gidey 1 , Habtamu Mellie Bizuayehu 2 * and Muluken Teshome 2 1 Debay Tilat Gin Woreda health office, department of TB/HIV, East Gojjam zone, Ethiopia 2 Debre Markos University, college of medicine and health science, Department of Public Health, Debre Markos, Ethiopia *Corresponding author: Bizuayehu HM, Debre Markos University, college of medicine and health science, Department of Public Health, Debre Markos, Ethiopia, Tel: 251912356496; E-mail: habtamumellie@yahoo.com Received November 26, 2014; Accepted February 28, 2015; Published March 09, 2015 Citation: Gidey B, Bizuayehu HM, Teshome M (2015) Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing Service Utilization among Pregnant Mothers in North West Ethiopia In 2014. J AIDS Clin Res 6: 437. doi:10.4172/2155-6113.1000437 Copyright: © 2015 Gidey B, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Keywords: HIV/AIDS; Voluntary HIV counseling and testing; Mother to child transmission of HIV; North-West Ethiopia; Ethiopia Introduction e Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continues to be a serious global public health challenges since its appearance. Globally mothers constitutes more than half (52%) of the disease burden [1,2]. Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the regions mostly affected by HIV. In 2010, about 68% of all people living with HIV in the world were resided in the region though only 12% of the global population lives in it [3]. In Ethiopia, about 1.9% mothers in age group of 15-49 years were HIV sero-positive. In the country about one every hundred (0.8%) pregnant mothers were HIV sero-positive and this is an opportunity for transmition of the infection to their child [4,5]. Mother to child vertical HIV transmission accounts for more than 90% of pediatric AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) [6]. In 2011, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS estimated as about 330,000 new HIV infections occurred through vertical transmission [7]. VHCT is the first step for commencing PMTCT of HIV. Without PMTCT, HIV infection would occur in 4 out of 10 deliveries among HIV-positive mothers [8]. Despite its benefits, VHCT service utilization among pregnant mothers in Northwestern Ethiopia at east Gojjam zone and Gondar town was about 72.0% [9] and 82.5% respectively [10]. In Debre Markos town about half (55.5%) of pregnant mothers attending ANC (antenatal care) were not ready to use VHCT service [11]. In Addis Ababa which is a capital city of Ethiopia, only 18% of pregnant mothers attended the facility were coming for VHCT though 90% knew that a mother with HIV can pass the virus to her child [12]. e risk of MTCT can be reduced significantly if a woman is supplied with antiretroviral drugs [13]. To supply drugs, the mother must be aware of her HIV-positive status. Hence VHCT during pregnancy is an entry point for PMTCT service utilization. e current study was aimed to assess VHCT service utilization and its determinants among pregnant mothers. Methods and Materials Study setting and design e study was conducted in Enemay woreda/district which is found in East Gojjam zone of Amhara regional state. It is located 265 km from Addis Ababa city, 230 km from Bahir Dar town and 90 km from Debre Markos town. e woreda comprises 34 kebeles in which five of them are urban and the rest are rural kebeles. e total population of the woreda is 187,946 out of this 41,348 are mothers of reproductive age group. ere are 7 health centers all of them provide VHCT service. Abstract Introduction: According to 2011 Ethiopian demographic health survey result, about 2.2% mothers were HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) positive in Amhara regional state. HIV testing during pregnancy is the gateway for PMTCT (Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission) of HIV though its coverage was 72.0% to 82.5% in North-West Ethiopia. Objective: To assess VHCT (Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing) service utilization and its determinants among pregnant mothers in North-West Ethiopia in 2014. Methods: A community based cross sectional study using both quantitative and qualitative research methods was conducted in Enemay woreda/district. Data was collected on systematically selected 386 pregnant mothers and 4 FGDs (Focus Group Discussion) on purposively selected pregnant mothers and their partners. A pre tested closed ended structured questionnaire and open ended questions were used to collect the quantitative and qualitative data respectively. Binary logistic regression was used for multivariate analysis of quantitative data. Result: Majority (81.6%) of participants were known transmission of HIV during pregnancy and about three quarter (76.2%) of them were tested for HIV in current pregnancy. In FGD, all participants were not agreed as HIV testing was important during pregnancy. The repeatedly cited reason for not up taking HIV testing during pregnancy was fear of stigma and discrimination if test result becomes positive. Pregnant mothers not knowledgeable about MTCT (Mother to Child Transmission) of HIV; have not intension for ARV Prophylaxisis, unable to bring their partner for test and mothers who believe VHCT was importance before marriage only were less likely utilizing VHCT service thus organizations working on VHCT should further enhance awareness creation by giving especial attention for these groups of pregnant mothers. J o u r n a l o f A I D S & C l i n i c a l R e s e a r c h ISSN: 2155-6113 Journal of AIDS & Clinical Research