Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Regarding HIV Amongst Women of Childbearing Age in the NYANGA Province, Gabon

Abstract Background: The seroprevalence of HIV in Gabon is 4.1%. This rate varies among its nine provinces and is estimated at 4.2% in the province of Nyanga. This variance is believed to be the result of a lack of information and beliefs regarding HIV transmission and prevention. There are currently scarce epidemiological data from this region of Gabon. We assessed the knowledge, attitudes and practices of women of childbearing age from Nyanga province towards HIV.Methods: A 13-day cross-sectional descriptive study of 631 women aged 15 to 49 years was conducted within the five departments of the province to assess their knowledge and attitudes about HIV, with particular emphasis on mother-to-child HIV transmission (MTCT). Household recruitment of participants was conducted and information was collected by means of a questionnaire. Correct answers were considered as indicating a basic knowledge of the topic assessed.Results: Around 90% of women (570/631) were of childbearing age but not pregnant during the survey, with a mean age of 28 years. Also, 10% (61/631) were pregnant. Among surveyed women, 99.2% had heard of HIV/AIDS and 81.8% knew at least one screening site for HIV. More than 83.6% knew that MTCT could occur during pregnancy, and 76.5% knew about transmission during breastfeeding. In addition, 86.5% knew that HIV couldn’t be transmitted through sharing food with an infected person. Similarly, 68.8% answered that HIV transmission cannot occur through mosquito bites. However, 45.8% of women said that HIV could be transmitted by witchcraft. For 81.6% of participants, HIV could be prevented by having a single monogamous sexual partner and protected sex. Seventy percent of the women were aware of antiretroviral therapy. More than 80% of the participants indicated that they had been screened overall, and 77.3% said that they had been offered HIV screening services during antenatal visits.Conclusions: Almost all women of childbearing age in Nyanga had heard of HIV, yet about half of them had poor knowledge of its modes of transmission. It is therefore imperative to carry out awareness campaigns in conjunction with HIV testing services to better understand the current prevalence of HIV infection in the region.