Perceptions of barriers and facilitators to implement programs for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV-Mozambique.
Olimpia Buleza Lamucene, Margarita Bernales, Lisette Irarrázabal Vargas and 1 others
PMID 35156679WHAT IT FOUND
Women in Mozambique mother-to-child HIV programs said denial, side effects made worse by lack of food, and fear of stigma made them interrupt treatment; protecting children, partner reminders, and clinician advice helped them continue; many wanted more community education.
Key findings
01Women described denial, side effects, and stigma as barriers to starting or staying in PMTCT treatment.
02Fourteen of fifteen women experienced stigma, mainly anticipated stigma and fear of disclosure.
03All participants said protecting their children motivated treatment, and emotional support from spouses helped them accept or continue treatment.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included 15 women from 3 primary care centers in Sofala, so the themes may not apply to other regions, men, health care providers, or health systems. Purposive sampling and data saturation are not designed to estimate how common these barriers are. Interviews were conducted online, and the authors could not be certain that no third party was present, which could affect privacy and openness. Only two translations were reviewed by an external bilingual person, so translation quality across all interviews was not fully checked. Findings are perceptions, not measured adherence, retention, or mother-to-child transmission outcomes.
Declared interests
The paper reports that equipment and participant compensation were financed by the School of Nursing's internal competitive fund, APET, at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Financial support for publication came from the Research and Doctorate Directorate of the Nursing School.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as evidence that any strategy improves PMTCT retention. The study describes what fifteen women said they experienced; it did not test an intervention or compare outcomes.