Couples HIV counselling and couple relationships in India, Georgia and the Dominican Republic

Thierry Tiendrebeogo, Melanie Plazy, Shrinivas Darak, Marija Miric, Eddy Perez-Then, Maia Butsashvili, Patrice Tchendjou, François Dabis, Joanna Orne-Gliemann, Thierry Tiendrebeogo, Melanie Plazy, Shrinivas Darak, Marija Miric, Eddy Perez-Then, Maia Butsashvili, Patrice Tchendjou, François Dabis, Joanna Orne-Gliemann

Abstract

Background: Couples HIV counseling and testing is essential for combination HIV prevention, but its uptake remains very low. We aimed to evaluate factors associated with couples HIV counseling uptake in India, Georgia and the Dominican Republic, as part of the ANRS 12127 Prenahtest intervention trial.

Methods: Pregnant women ≥15 years, attending their first antenatal care (ANC) session between March and September 2009, self-reporting a stable partner, and having received couple-oriented post-test HIV counseling (trial intervention) were included. Individuals and couple characteristics associated with the acceptability of couples HIV counseling were assessed using multivariable logistic regression for each study site.

Results: Among 711 women included (232, 240 and 239 in the Dominican Republic, Georgia and India, respectively), the uptake of couples HIV counseling was 9.1% in the Dominican Republic, 13.8% in Georgia and 36.8% in India. The uptake of couples HIV counseling was associated with women having been accompanied by their partner to ANC, and never having used a condom with their partner in the Dominican Republic; with women having been accompanied by their partner to ANC in India; with women having a higher educational level than their partner and having ever discussed HIV with their partner in Georgia.

Conclusion: Couple HIV counseling uptake was overall low. Strategies adapted to local socio-cultural contexts, aiming at improving women's education level, or tackling gender norms to facilitate the presence of men in reproductive health services, should be considered.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01494961 . Registered December 15, 2011. (Retrospectively registered).

Keywords: Antenatal care; Couples HIV counseling; HIV; Male partner.

Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The Prenahtest study was approved by Comité de Ética Indepediente, Fundación Dominicana de Infectología (9 April 2007, Dominican Republic), IRB 00006752 of Maternal and Child Care Union (13 November 2008, Georgia), Independent Ethics Committee for Prayas Health Group (27 March 2007, India). Women eligible to study participation were required to provide written informed consent prior enrolment. Participants were assigned identification numbers and all the questionnaires and process forms were labeled with matching numbers to maintain confidentiality.

Consent for publication

Not applicable. No details, images or videos related to individual participants were obtained.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Selection of the study population. Prenahtest ANRS 12127 trial
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Uptake of couples HIV counseling among women who received couple-oriented post-test counseling. Prenahtest ANRS 12127 trial

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