ISSN 2360-7920
Abstract: The study sought to determine the prevalence of HIV among women of childbearing age in General Hospital Okigwe. In particular, the study sought to determine the socio-demographic, prevalence, opportunistic infections, and behaviors contributing to the prevalence of HIV among women of childbearing age in Okigwe. The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive study and a retrospective research design. The study's population included all Okigwe women of childbearing age (15–49 years) diagnosed with HIV. We used the convenience sampling technique to sample 275 respondents. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire. We analysed the collected data using descriptive statistics. Findings from this study revealed that 63% of respondents lived in urban areas, and 61.8% of respondents were single. This study also revealed that women of childbearing age within the age range of 21–30 had the highest HIV prevalence, at 19.9%. Similarly, the study identified persistent weight loss, persistent diarrhoea, tuberculosis, skin cancer, and yeast infection as opportunistic infections. In the population study, the majority of respondents indicated that multiple sexual partners, drug abuse, and having sex in exchange for money are behaviors contributing to the prevalence of HIV. The study further revealed that the rate of respondents who tested positive for HIV infection moved from 156 in 2018 to 1412 in 2022, which shows that HIV is on the rise among women of childbearing age. The study suggests conducting seminars and workshop programs to educate women on HIV.
Keywords: prevalence, HIV/AIDS, childbearing age, opportunistic infection