Premarital HIV testing results and discordant rate

Understanding and monitoring the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among premarital clients and discordant rate among premarital couples and applying specific interventions targeted at this group could bring dual benefit as it prevents both heterosexual and vertical transmission of the disease. 8.2% of premarital VCT clients included in the current study were sero positive for HIV. 6.5% of premarital VCT couples were found to be sero discordant, while concordant negative and concordant positive accounted for 92.0% and 1.4% respectively. Both HIV sero positivity and discordance were relatively higher among those who previously separated/divorced and widowed partners. So, don t you think that exerting special efforts to make premarital couples aware of their own and their partners sero status before engagement is imperative to their future healthy life and the future of the nations?

Autorentext

Studied Master of Public Health (MPH) from Addis Ababa University, School of Public Health.Lecturer, researcher and head of Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University.