Barriers to PMTCT services uptake among pregnant women living with HIV: A qualitative study

Abstract

Aim

The uptake of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services is predictive of HIV transmission; however, many barriers limit pregnant women living with HIV from this uptake. This study, therefore, aimed to explore some barriers to PMTCT services uptake among pregnant women living with HIV.

Methods

A qualitative interview design was employed with pregnant women living with HIV, their husbands or relatives, and service providers in two Nigerian health facilities. Thirty-five participants were individually interviewed until data saturation occurred, and the data were thematically analyzed.

Results

Five barriers to PMTCT services uptake were found - “fear of stigmatization,” “poor support from family,” “conflict between attending to social role demands and PMTCT programs,” “financial and time cost to health facilities,” and “poor service provider-patient interaction.”

Conclusion

These data contribute to informing targeted interventions that strengthen the uptake of PMTCT services among HIV-positive pregnant women.

Keywords:

• Barriers
• HIV
• PMTCT services
• pregnant women

Acknowledgments

We thank every participant for giving up their time to participate in our study. We thank the service providers for their assistance in data collection and analysis.

Authors’ contribution

Ogueji - conceived and designed the study, collected and analyzed the data, wrote the article, reviewed/edited for intellectual content, thoroughly read, and approved the final version.

Omotoso – contributed to data collection and analysis, thoroughly read, and approved the final version.

Declaration of interest statement

We have no conflict of interest to declare.

Data availability statement

The data associated with this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Ethics

Our study followed the ethical standard of the institutional and/or national research and ethics committee, and the 1964 Helsinki ethical declaration, its later amendment, or its comparable standard. Verbal and written consents were obtained from all participants, and all participants consented that findings from their data should be published in this paper.