Browsing by Author "Nyalapa, Macdonald Williams"

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    Challenges of partner notification faced by HIV-positive women attending art clinic.
    (Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, 2008-11-26) Nyalapa, Macdonald Williams
    Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection prevention and control depend on the strategies put in place to prevent new infections and to treat currently infected individuals. Voluntary HIV counselling and testing is one of the strategies employed in the prevention, control and treatment of HIV and AIDS. However, there are significant limitations of these strategies that need to be addressed in order to achieve maximum potential benefits from these programs. One of the most striking limitations is the low serostatus disclosure rate to sex partners among clients who have been counselled and tested for HIV which is a serious public health concern. A qualitative study was done to explore the existing challenges of partner notification faced by HIV-positive women and specifically, the study focused on the women's knowledge on the concept of partner notification and its importance, beliefs held about partner notification, problems related to partner notification faced and the perceived feelings before and after partner notification. The study setting for the study was Kawale Health centre, Lilongwe. Fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted among fifteen HIV-positive women who were attending ART clinic at Kawale Health centre. The participants were purposively sampled and the data was analysed manually using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The study revealed that HIV-positive women perceive partner notification as a very important and beneficial measure of increasing the rate of HIV testing and also a measure of HIV and AIDS control. It also indicated that the rate of HIV status disclosure among HIV-positive women to their sexual partners is high because of the understanding of the benefits of partner notification. Generally, challenges of partner notification faced by HIV-positive women are not very common. However, lack of understanding of the benefits of partner notification by some husbands still compromises the rate of HIV status disclosure by these women. The study also revealed a growing need for the enhancement of the role of the nurse for instance educating and counselling spouses on the benefits of partner notification to minimize these challenges. Based on the findings, relevant recommendations have been made to nurse practitioners, managers, educators and researchers in order to improve the practice of partner notification.