HIV screening and counseling in antenatal care: perception of postpartum women

Abstract

This transversal and exploratory study aimed at verifying if pregnant women were receiving antenatal counseling before and after HIV screening. The sample consisted of 161 postpartum HIV-negative women admitted to two maternity hospitals in the city of São Paulo. Interviews were carried out in 2003. Data showed that the number of postpartum women who received pre and post HIV screening counseling during pregnancy was low. The answers of women on the aim of HIV testing were statistically correlated to the average number of prenatal appointments. In conclusion, this study identified the need of a higher involvement of health staff workers in pre- and post-HIV screening counseling of pregnant women during prenatal care.