Predictors of HIV testing among pregnant women aged 15-49 years in Nigeria

Abstract

 Background: The utilization of HIV testing services in Nigeria has not been optimal due to socioeconomic and
demographic factors such as educational level, place of residence, and religion. For Nigeria to achieve epidemic
control, pregnant women need to know their HIV status through HIV testing, which is the gateway to HIV
prevention, care, support, and treatment services. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the
predictors of HIV testing among Nigerian pregnant women aged 15-49 years HIV testing during antenatal visits or
childbirth.
Methodology: Secondary data analyses of 659 pregnant women randomly selected from the multiple imputation
datasets of the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS)were done using SPSS version 25. Data on
socio-demographic characteristics, HIV stigmatizing attitudes, and HIV testing were retrieved from the dataset for
the study. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were done to determine the predictors of HIV testing.
Results: The prevalence of self-reported HIV testing and receiving results among women of reproductive age was
36.72%. Bivariate model findings showed that educational level, place of residence, and religion were statistically
significant predictors of HIV testing among pregnant women. Only educational level and place of residence
significantly predicted pregnant women's HIV testing in the parsimonious multivariable regression model.
Pregnant women with higher levels of education (Primary Education, AOR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.07,3.19; Secondary
Education, AOR, 3.75; 95% CI:1.93, 7.28; Higher Education, AOR, 11.23; 95% CI: 4.40, 28.68) and those living
in urban areas (AOR, 1.60: 95% CI:1.03, 2.47) were more likely to test for HIV than those with no education and
those living in the rural areas.
Conclusion: This study identified having a higher level of education and living in urban areas as predictors of HIV
testing, therefore, more efforts are needed to have women with lower levels of education and those living in rural
areas test for HIV as a strategy for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.