Faithfulness to partners: a means to prevent HIV infection, a source of HIV infection risks, or both? A qualitative study of women's experiences in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

A cross-sectional study was carried out at a programme to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (MTCT) at a public antenatal clinic in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The objectives were to obtain information from women concerning their reactions to HIV test results received through the programme, their experiences with faithfulness to partners as a means of primary HIV prevention for themselves and their infants, their relationships with partners, their own and their partners' experiences with HIV testing, and their knowledge of their partners' HIV serostatus. The participants were a purposive sample of 87 women who had received HIV-1-positive test results and 30 women who had received HIV-1-negative test results through the clinic's programme.

Women's reasons for not participating in follow up visits before starting short course antiretroviral prophylaxis for prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV: qualitative interview study.

Objective: To find out why pregnant women who receive HIV-1 positive test results and are offered short course antiretroviral prophylaxis to prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child do not participate in necessary follow up visits before starting prophylaxis.

Design: Qualitative interview study.

Setting: A programme aiming to prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child at a public antenatal clinic in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.