Status of prevention of parent to child transmission services among HIV-positive mothers from rural South India

BACKGROUND: Tamil Nadu comes under group I high-prevalence state, with <1% prevalence of HIV infection in ante-natal women but above 5% prevalence in high-risk group. One of the ways to control HIV/AIDS in India is through prevention of parent to child transmission (PPTCT), the success of which lies in the utilization of services. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted to explore the status of utilization of PPTCT services by rural HIV-positive mothers, in the Gingee Block of Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu. All the mothers who tested positive between June 2006 and May 2010 were interviewed in-depth using an interview guide. RESULTS: There were 21 HIV-positive mothers during this period, 19 of whom gave consent for the study. Thirteen out of 19 mothers (68%) received Nevirapine prophylaxis, while 15 out of 20 infants born to these mothers (75%) received Nevirapine syrup. During the study period, it was found that 61% of the mothers were not compliant to antiretroviral therapy (ART). CONCLUSION: Poor access to the ART centers was reflected in majority of the cases (79%). There is a pressing need to improve access to quality PPTCT services especially during the intranatal period.