Factors affecting the uptake of the first HIV virological test (PCR) for HIV exposed infants within two months of age in Kasese district western Uganda

Abstract

In Uganda, only 40.2% in 2012, 41.9% in 2013, 33% in 2014 and 38% in 2015 of infants born to HIV positive women received a virological test (DNA PCR) for HIV within 2 months of birth. Similarly, in Kasese district, only 290(30.2%) of exposed infants were tested for HIV within two months in 2016. This was far below the national target of 80%, and that put a large proportion of exposed infants to a risk of acquiring HIV due to delay in initiating appropriate prevention, treatment, care and supportive interventions. This study was conducted in Kasese District to establish the factors affecting the uptake of the first HIV virological test by HIV exposed infants within two months of age. The study was a cross section analytical in nature and was conducted among 323 randomly selected HIV-exposed infants born to positive mothers attending health facility offering ART services within the district. Majority of the HIV-exposed infants belonging to study participants, 175(54.2%) had their first virological testing (PCR) late (after the first two months or 8 weeks of birth). Uptake of first HIV virological testing among HIV-exposed infants was significantly associated with having more than three children (AOR = 0.471, p = 0.01), distance longer than five kilometers from home to health facility (AOR = 0.62, p = 0.03), and health worker not informing about testing child for HIV (AOR = 0.59, p = 0.04). Therefore, government should facilitate the operationalization of policies for fostering small family sizes among HIV-exposed women in reproductive age, take services closer to the people who need them, and to ensure that health workers inform HIV-positive mothers about the correct timing for HIV diagnosis among HIV-exposed infants.