Writing: DETERMINANTS OF HIV KNOWLEDGE AMONG WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE IN SOUTH SUMATRA-INDONESIA

DETERMINANTS OF HIV KNOWLEDGE AMONG WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE IN SOUTH SUMATRA-INDONESIA

Najmah^{1,4 *}, Indah Purnama Sari², Tri Novia Kumalasari³,

 Sari Andajani⁴, Sharyn Graham Davies⁵

¹Epidemiology Department, Public Health Faculty, Sriwijaya University, Indonesia

²Biostatistics Department, Public Health Faculty, Sriwijaya University, Indonesia

³Epidemiology Department, Public Health Faculty, Sriwijaya University, Indonesia

⁴ Faculty of Health and Environmental Science, Auckland University of Technology

⁵ Faculty of Social Science, Auckland University of Technology

* Corresponding Author: Najmah, Epidemiology Department Public Health Faculty Universitas Sriwijaya, Kampus FKM Unsri Indralaya, Ogan ilir 30662, Indonesia,

E-mail: najem240783@gmail.com/purnamasari.indah46@gmail.com, Phone: +62-711-580068, Fax: +62-711-580089

Abstract

About 40% of all new HIV-positive cases in the last five years were women in Indonesia. Previous studies have shown that HIV-positive mothers in Indonesia generally find out about their HIV status very late, typically when their children or husbands become very ill due to HIV/AIDS or when they are asked for a blood test during pregnancy. Lack of knowledge related to HIV among women of childbearing age was found in previous studies. This study aims to provide detailed information on the role of determinants in the acquisition of HIV knowledge among women.

The study uses secondary data from the 2012 Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey (IDHS). The IDHS used a quantitative analytical approach with a cross-sectional study design and multi-stage stratified sampling. The participantswere 1,335 women aged 15 to 49 years old in South Sumatra Province, Indonesia. Descriptive analysis, ANOVA, and t-test and multiple logistic regression were performed in tusing the IDHS datasets.

The results show two out of four women have better understandings on a comprehensive HIV knowledge. Some determinants including level of education, employment status, and residence status were associated with having comprehensive HIV-related knowledge. In addition, education and working status were also associated with a greater degree of knowledge related to HIV prevention, transmission from mother to child and HIV services (P<0.0001). The women who had higher education levels and lived in urban areas had more knowledge related to HIV prevention and transmission, HIV tests, and myths about HIV compared to those with lower education levels and who lived in rural areas (p<0.001, p=0.001-0.05). To conclude, education level was found to be the dominant factor associated with knowledge of HIV across all categories of knowledge. HIV awareness and comprehensive HIV education among women who are considered to be in a low-risk group for HIV infection should be intergrated with formal education as well as in maternal health services, particularly in rural areas.

Keywords:  HIV/AIDS, knowledge, women of childbearing age, IDHS 2012