Knowledge and use of antiretroviral treatment among pregnant women attending health centres in Amathole district, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the knowledge and use of antiretroviral treatment (ART) among pregnant women attending health centres in Amathole district, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The study involved a non-probability sample of 70 HIV positive pregnant women on antiretrovirals attending antenatal care clinic in the tertiary hospital in Buffalo City Metropolitan, Eastern Cape, South Africa. A self- designed questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection. About 99% participants were able to follow up ART therapy regimen and inform about the importance of taking treatment (ART) regularly, 77% side effects and drug interactions of the drugs (ART) while 31% never heard about the side effects of the drugs and its interactions. About 97% approved the use of ART, while 3% disapproved them. Majority of participants 50% felt healthy ever since they took ART, 32% gained more weight after starting ART and 18% experienced no frequent illnesses. Also, majority (97%) of the participants were optimistic about prevention of their unborn child by ART, while 3% were not sure about prevention of their unborn child. HIV positive pregnant women on ART exhibited a good knowledge and use of ART. This is encouraging and should be sustained by continuous community awareness campaigns to empower the communities about HIV/AIDS, prevention to mother to child transmission programme and ART and extensive training of health care providers.

Keywords: Adherence, Antiretroviral treatment (ART), Mother to child transmission and Prevention to mother to child transmission (PMTCT).