HIV rapid test counseling among parturient

The pre and post-HIV test counseling is recommended by the Ministry of Health, and is a tool for reflection and joint decision-making.

To determine the proportion of women receiving counseling for submission to the HIV rapid test and to assess factors associated to not receiving counseling for this test.

A cross-sectional study was conducted in five "Baby-Friendly Hospitals" from the High Risk Pregnancy System in Rio de Janeiro City, Southeast Brazil. The study population were 955 rooming-in parturients, undergoing the HIV rapid test, between September 11thand December 11th, 2006. Semi-standardized questionnaires were applied to the mothers, and data were also obtained from laboratory and health archives. Binomial regression was performed in order to analyze the variables associated with non-counseling.

Were submitted to the HIV rapid test 28.5% of the parturients, and only 26.9% of them were counseled. Factors associated with non-counseling were: maternal education below 8 years of school (PR = 1.36; 95% CI: 1.15-1.62), 0 to 3 prenatal visits (RP = 0.73; IC 95%: 0.59-0.90) and hospitals with less than 50% of the parturients submitted to the HIV rapid test (PR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.40-1.96).

Socially underprivileged women were not a target of counseling, and only the low number of prenatal visits proved to be a protective factor against non-counseling. Counseling was seldom practiced for HIV rapid testing, indicating that this test has been performed without the consent of women, in an imperative way.