Influence of knowledge of stigmatization and discriminatory practices against HIV-positive persons on pregnant women’s HIV testing in Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Stigmatizing and discriminatory attitudes have been reported as factors militating against the control of the spread of
HIV infection and ending the HIV epidemic. Women of reproductive age identified as a vulnerable group to HIV infection require
comprehensive knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention to prevent contracting HIV infection. Therefore, this study aimed to
determine the association between reproductive-age women's comprehensive knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention and
their stigmatizing and discriminatory attitudes toward individuals living with HIV/AIDS.
Methodology: Secondary data from the 2018 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey was used for this study. We used in each
analysis a weighted sample of women of reproductive age with complete data on the comprehensive knowledge of HIV transmission
and prevention and stigmatizing and discriminatory attitudes towards persons living with HIV/AIDS. Bivariable and multivariable
logistic regression analysis was done to predict the effects of the comprehensive knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention of
women of reproductive age on their stigmatizing and discriminatory attitudes toward persons living with HIV/AIDS. Predictor
variables with a p-value of ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant determinants of HIV/AIDS stigmatizing and
discriminatory attitudes.
Results: The number of respondents with HIV/AIDS stigmatizing and discriminatory attitudes was 22821 (77.0%). The multivariable
regression models showed that women with an average household wealth index, of Islamic faith, and no access to media were more
likely to have positive attitudes toward persons living with HIV at Alpha = .05.
Conclusion: Having comprehensive knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention by women of reproductive age did not affect
their HIV stigmatizing and discriminatory attitudes towards individuals living with HIV/AIDS differently when compared to those
without comprehensive knowledge. The findings show that women with no access to media and those with an average household wealth index were more likely to have a positive attitude toward persons living with HIV/AIDS than those with access to media and a rich household wealth index, respectively, which requires further validation using primary data.