Determinants of Intimate Partner Violence among HIV Positive Women Attending ART Clinic in Fitche Hospital, Central Ethiopia: An Institution Based Cross Sectional Study

Objective: Intimate partner violence is major health problem of women all over the world and there is shortage of information among HIV positive women’s in Ethiopia. Thus, this study aims to assess the prevalence and factors associated with Intimate partner violence among HIV positive women, attending antiretroviral clinic in Fitche Hospital, Ethiopia.Methods: An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted among a total of 311 HIV positive women aged 15-49 years attending Fitche hospital Antiretroviral Therapy clinic using a questionnaire adapted from WHO multi-country study.  Analysis was done using SPSS version 20.0. Descriptive statistics, binary and multivariable logistic regression were computed.Results: The prevalence of life time intimate partner violence among HIV positive women was 46%. Physical and sexual violence were experienced by 43.7 and 25.1 percent of study participants respectively. Women living with controlling partner having and those who believe man should show who is the boss where more likely to experience intimate partner violence [(AOR 4.09(1.84, 9.09)) and (AOR 2.95(1.22, 7.16))]. On the other hand, women’s capable to raise enough money in case of emergency were 65% less likely to report intimate partner violence [AOR= 0.35(0.17, 0.70)].Conclusion: Antiretroviral Therapy adherence might be complicated as a reason of intimate partner violence. Thus, in order to enhancing Antiretroviral Therapy for patients living with HIV/AIDS, routine screening for intimate partner violence is important. Interventions should consider on increasing awareness of HIV positive women on sexual and reproductive right, gender role and their economic status. Keywords: Intimate partner violence, HIV/AIDS, Antiretroviral Therap

Levels of adherence and factors associated with adherence to option B+ prevention of mother-to-child transmission among pregnant and lactating mothers in selected government health facilities of South Wollo Zone, Amhara Region, northeast Ethiopia, 2016

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to measure the levels of adherence and to identify factors associated with adherence to option B+ prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) among pregnant and lactating mothers in selected government health facilities of South Wollo Zone, Amhara Region, northeast Ethiopia. METHODS An institution-based cross-sectional quantitative study design was employed from March 1, 2016 to April 14, 2016, using a standard structured data collection instrument. A sample of 191 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive pregnant and lactating mothers who were receiving PMTCT follow-up in the selected health facilities participated in the study. The data were entered using EpiData 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 21. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to identify factors associated with adherence. The p-values <0.05 and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to identify associations between independent predictors and the outcome variable. RESULTS The level of adherence to option B+ PMTCT drugs was 87.9%. Women who received in-hospital treatment, who lived in rural areas, and faced challenges in initiating lifelong option B+ treatment on the same-day that they were diagnosed with HIV were less likely to adhere to the treatment (adjusted odds ratios [95% CI] of 0.3 [0.11 to 0.82], 0.26 [0.1 to 0.73], and 0.08 [0.02 to 0.37], respectively). CONCLUSIONS Collaborative efforts of zonal health departments with health facility administrators and counselors are recommended for effective and efficient interventions focusing on hospitals, rural areas, and patients who face challenges on the day of their diagnosis

Stress and coping strategies among parents of children with cancer at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital paediatric oncology unit, Ethiopia: a phenomenological study

Objective This study explores sources of stress, conditions that help reduce stress levels and coping strategies among parents of children with cancer receiving chemotherapy at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH) in Ethiopia.Design A qualitative phenomenological approach was used.Setting Parents of children receiving chemotherapy at the TASH paediatric oncology unit.Participants Fifteen semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted with nine mothers and six fathers of children with cancer from November 2020 to January 2021.Results Sources of stress related to child’s health condition as the severity of the child’s illness, fear of treatment side effects and loss of body parts were identified. Parents mentioned experiencing stress arising from limited access to health facilities, long waiting times, prolonged hospital stays, lack of chemotherapy drugs, and limited or inadequate information about their child’s disease condition and treatment. Other sources of stress were insufficient social support, stigmatisation of cancer and financial problems. Conditions decreasing parents’ stress included positive changes in the child’s health, receiving cancer treatment and access to drugs. Receiving counselling from healthcare providers, getting social support and knowing someone who had a positive treatment outcome also helped reduce stress. Coping strategies used by parents were religious practices including prayer, crying, accepting the child’s condition, denial and communication with health providers.Conclusion The main causes of stress identified by parents of children with cancer in Ethiopia were the severity of their child’s illness, expectations of poor treatment outcomes, unavailability of cancer treatment services and lack of social/financial support. Measures that should be considered to reduce parents’ stress include providing psycho-oncological care for parents and improving the counselling available to parents concerning the nature of the child’s illness, its treatment, diagnostic procedures and treatment side effects. It may also be helpful to establish and strengthen family support groups and parent-to-parent communication, improve the availability of chemotherapy drugs and offer more education on coping strategies