HIV Awareness and Risk Behavior Among Pregnant Women in Semey, Kazakhstan
Author Information
Author(s): Emma Sandgren, Sofia Sandgren, Marat Urazalin, Rune Andersson
Primary Institution: Department of Infectious Diseases, Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University, Sweden
Hypothesis
What is the current knowledge, risk behavior, and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS among pregnant women in Semey, Kazakhstan?
Conclusion
Pregnant women in Semey have poor knowledge about specific mother-to-child HIV transmission and do not know about the means of reducing mother-to-child HIV infection.
Supporting Evidence
- 96% of women had heard about HIV.
- 89% were aware of sexual intercourse and 86% of needle sharing as transmission routes.
- Only 28% knew ways to protect against sexually transmitted HIV/AIDS.
Takeaway
Most pregnant women in Semey know about HIV, but they don't understand how it can be passed from mother to child.
Methodology
The study collected 226 questionnaires from pregnant women attending four different antenatal clinics in Semey.
Limitations
The study may not represent all pregnant women in Kazakhstan as it was limited to one city.
Participant Demographics
Participants were predominantly Kazakh (76.2%), with ages ranging from 18 to 47 years and a mean age of 26.8.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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