Assessment of Knowledge on Offering Routine HIV Testing among Pregnant Women in Kenya

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

One of the key issues concerning women is health particularly protection from HIV/AIDS. Over the last two decades, two events have occurred which have gradually moved sexuality into contemporary nursing practice. The first event is the emergence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the 1980s. AIDS was also already one of the leading causes of death among women. It is said that all HIV/AIDS prevention program must address the central realities of the target population. It is particularly difficult to deliver when the involved group is pregnant women. An issue that has in the forefronts of debate now is the competence of those who administer routine HIV testing to pregnant women.

However, there are two hindrances for effective health promotion by means of preventing the continued spread of HIV/AIDS among women and in pregnant women. These are, first, the issues of highest importance for HIV/AIDS risk and prevention will likely be sensitive, potentially threatening and embarrassing to reveal. And second, to identify, acknowledge and address these realities, the full, voluntary and informed participation of the target group is absolutely necessary. These inherent difficulties and respect for and partnership with pregnant women may be hampered by the extent to which roles, desires and fears intervene.

For effective health promotion, thinking and developing HIV/AIDS prevention strategies for pregnant must embrace these four realities: 1) women are marginalized and disempowered within society; 2) women are actively developing their personal behaviours and values; 3) the familial and intrafamilial roles of women are changing and 4) women are confronting important barriers to making and effecting free and informed choices. In lieu with these realities, prevention of HIV/AIDS as a way to further promote health among youth will be explored.

1.2 Research questions

The key question that will be addressed in this study is - how competent are those who administer routine HIV testing to pregnant women in Kenya? Other questions to answer would be:

1) Are administrators of routine HIV testing to pregnant women confident enough that they acquire the knowledge to do what they are asked to do?

2) In what way do test administrators' levels of knowledge limit their contribution to effective implementation of the routine HIV testing process?

1.3 Objectives

The main aim of this is to evaluate the levels of competencies of the ones who administer routine HIV testing to pregnant women. In lieu with this, the following research objectives will be addressed:

· To assess whether the administrators are of adequate knowledge in performing routine HIV testing to pregnant women

· To conclude whether their levels of knowledge contribute beneficially or limit the routine HIV testing for pregnant women

1.4 Conceptual Framework

The theoretical framework I have chosen to utilize in conjunction with this research is an interpretivist one. Interpretivism is the necessary research philosophy for this study because it allows searching the 'details of the situation to understand the reality or perhaps a reality working behind them'. Limitations inherent with this type of framework would include a susceptibility to projecting my subjectivities on to the healthcare schema in the context of the research study.

CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Global literature review

2.2 Sub Saharan Africa

2.3 Kenya

3. METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research design

Concurrent with this theoretical framework are some pertinent research methodologies. The research strategy to be used is exploratory research because it aims to know more about the phenomenon of diabetes. Exploratory research will enable the study to look at the problem in both descriptive and exploratory manner. This approach is a preferred mean of finding out "what is happening to seek new insights" or "to ask questions or to assess phenomena in a new light." Further, my research will operate within the cross-sectional design. Cross-sectional studies often employ the survey strategy, and they may be seeking to describe the incidence of a phenomenon or to compare factors in different settings.

3.2 Instruments and procedures for data collection

Primary and secondary research will be integrated. The reason for this is to be able to provide adequate discussion for the readers that will help them understand more about the issue and the different variables that involve with it. In the primary research, public managers will be surveyed. A structured questionnaire will be developed and it will be used as the survey tool for the study. On the other hand, sources in secondary research will include previous research reports, newspaper, magazine and journal content. Existing findings on journals and existing knowledge on books will be used as secondary research. The interpretation will be conducted which can account as qualitative in nature.

3.3 Ethical consideration

The respondents of the survey will be able to choose whether to identify them or stay anonymous. Before sending out the questionnaires and doing interviews, I will check them with my supervisor. Participation consent forms will be also accomplished. I will ensure that the data will be kept confidentially. I will establish with the data providers the use of my data and will ask their permission in case of publishing data.

Further, care should always be given so that the patient can be comfortable and is in excellent condition when answering the questionnaire. As a researcher, his/her prime role is making the respondent feel at ease during the interview and answering process. The researcher must also see to it that confidentiality is fostered among the respondents. It must be made clear to the respondents that any information exchanged and stated by the patient in questionnaires will remain confidential.

3.4 Data Analysis

Data gathered using these instruments will be collated for analysis. To interpret the quantitative data gathered, the researcher will use the following statistical formulae of percentage and weighted mean.

1. Percentage - to determine the magnitude of the responses to the questionnaire.

n

% = -------- x 100 ; n - number of responses

N N - total number of respondents

2. Weighted Mean

f₁x₁ + f₂x₂ + f₃x₃ + f₄x₄ + f₅x₅

x = --------------------------------------------- ;

x_t

where: f - weight given to each response

x - number of responses

x_t - total number of responses