Knowledge, attitudes and practices among parents towards human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) testing and treatment for children: the case of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Despite the availability of services, parents on antiretroviral treatment do not routinely get their children HIV tested and treated. The study aimed to document knowledge, attitudes and practices of parents towards HIV testing and treatment among children aged 0-14 years. A quantitative cross-sectional analytic study design was applied and a structured questionnaire used to collect data from 192 respondents. Findings show that 71.4% of respondents had correct knowledge of HIV transmission in children. Negative attitudes towards HIV testing of children were expressed by 42.2% of respondents while practices were reported by 16.7%. Practices were associated with self-efficacy, stigma, number of children and marital status. Knowledge and attitudes did not affect parental practices of HIV testing of children. Parents with low self-efficacy felt stigmatised, had negative attitudes, poor perception of availability of services and were unlikely to get children HIV tested. Recommendations to increase HIV testing among children included provision of skills and support to parents for HIV disclosure; localized care models to reduce stigma and identify children in need; and improving quality of services.