Female perspectives of male partners' inclusion in the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission programme in KwaZulu-Natal.

Background: The South African government intervened by implementing the prevention of mother-to-child transmission programme (PMTCT) to curb the HIV transmission from mother to child during and after pregnancy. The PMTCT programme has been at the forefront of global prevention efforts since 1998. Without treatment, the risk of transmission ranges from one in five to one in two newborns; however, the risk of mother-to-child transmission can be reduced to as low as 2%-5% with evidenced interventions.