RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: The failure of pregnant women to disclose their HIV serological status to the those around her, especially the father of the unborn child, can be a barrier to preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. In this context, the present study was designed to determine the proportion of women who failed to disclose their HIV status to their spouses and the factors associated with this non-disclosure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study was conducted from 1 February to 30 May 2017. The study population consisted of all pregnant and non-pregnant HIV-positive women followed in the three main mother and child health services in Bangui. RESULTS: A total of 256 women were recruited, 76 (29.7%) of whom had not disclosed their HIV status to their spouse. The main factors associated with non-disclosure of HIV status were the spouse's young age, precarious employment status, and couples living separately. CONCLUSION: In the light of the results of this study, efforts should be made to ensure more active involvement of partners in sexual and reproductive health programmes in general and PMTCT in particular. The general public also needs to be made aware of the dangers of stigma and the law on the protection of people living with HIV should be enforced.
