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Abstract
Intending Marriage Couples’ Voluntary HIV Testing: A Way Forward For The Battle Against HIV/AIDS.
Odunukwe N.1, Oruche U.2
Introduction: This study was between 1998 and 2004, among intending marriage couples in Lagos. The objective was to assess the HIV burden among intending marriage couples in other to advice discordant couples on preventive measures and to follow up the positive ones with the intention to start ART and curtail mother to child transmission.
Methods: After HIV awareness lectures in some churches, 725 voluntary intending couples accepted counseling HIV and blood genotype screening before marriage. Blood samples were screened using immunocomb HIV test kits, and western blotting technique to confirm positive samples. Blood genotype was done using cellulose acetate paper.
Results: There was a gradual increase in the number of respondents as the year progresses showing the effect of increase awareness campaign. The lowest percentage respondents of 1.6% was in 1998, while the highest of 20% was in 2004. The trend of the % HIV prevalence among the study population over the years showed some variations; 1998, 16.7%; 1999, 10.4%; 2000, 15.1%; 2001, 10.9%; 2002, 9.0%; 2003, 12.7%; 2004, 9.6%.
Conclusions: There is a need to expand this program to more churches, mosques and marriage registries in all the six geopolitical regions of the country to identify infected people early enough for counseling, treatments and prevention of mother to child transmission.
The 3rd IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment
Abstract no.
TuPe15.4P01
Suggested Citation
"OdunukweN., et al.
Intending Marriage Couples’ Voluntary HIV Testing: A Way Forward For The Battle Against HIV/AIDS. .
Poster Exhibition:
The 3rd IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment:
Abstract no.
TuPe15.4P01"
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