KNOWNLEGDE AND PREVENTION OF HIV/AIDS AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN AWKA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, ANAMBRA STATE

This study investigated the knowledge and prevention of HIV/AIDS among pregnant women in Awka South LGA, Anambra State. The study was guided with seven research question and two hypotheses, the objectives were to determine the knowledge of HIV/AIDS among pregnant; examine differences based on age, level of education, marital status and access preventive practices by the same variables. The Health Belief Model and Theory of Planned Behavior formed the theoretical framework. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The population comprised 2,420 pregnant women attending antenatal care in 11 government health facilities, from which 242 respondents were selected using systematic random sampling. Data were collected with a validated structured questionnaire and analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean and chi-square at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed an overall high knowledge of HIV/AIDS (53.3%). By age, women aged 26-33 years had the highest knowledge (52.3%), while those aged 18-25years (24.0%) and >34 years (28.7%) had low knowledge. By education, those with secondary education scored highest (38.4%), while those with no formal education scored lowest (15.7%). Marital status differences showed married women scored higher than single, divorced or widowed women. Preventive practices include regular HIV testing (mean= 2.86), use of antiretroviral drugs (mean = 2.74), and consistent condom use (mean = 2.41), through misconceptions about causal contact, breastfeeding and curability persisted. The study concluded that although general knowledge and preventive practices were relatively high, notable gaps remain among younger women, those with low education and non-married groups. Strengthening targeted health education, addressing misconceptions and increasing male partner involvement are crucial to reducing mother-to-child transmission and improving maternal and child health outcomes in Awka South. The study therefore recommended intensified health education, targeted interventions for low-knowledge groups and greater male partner involvement to improve HIV prevention among pregnant women in the area.