NMICS 2010 Report - Central Bureau of Statistics

NMICS 2010, Mid- and Far Western RegionsFigure HA.1 shows the percentage of women aged 15–49 years in the MFWR who havecomprehensive knowledge of preventing HIV transmission by various background characteristics.Urban women, younger women, women with at least secondary education and women from therichest quintile were all more likely than their counterparts to have comprehensive knowledge ofHIV transmission.605040Figure HA.1 Percentage of women age 15-49 who have comprehensive knowledge ofHIV transmission, MFWR, Nepal, 201034344938%3020102019157 7199151824220Background characteristicsKnowledge of mother-to-child transmission of HIV is an important first step in encouraging pregnantwomen to seek HIV testing and thereby avoid infection in their baby. Women should know that HIVcan be transmitted during pregnancy, delivery, and through breastfeeding. Table HA.3 presents thelevel of knowledge on mother-to-child transmission for women aged 15–49 years in the MFWR.Overall, slightly more than half of women (52 percent) knew that HIV can be transmitted frommother to child. Some 50 percent knew that HIV can be transmitted during pregnancy, 46 percentknew it can be transmitted during delivery, and 37 percent knew it can be transmitted bybreastfeeding. In total, 34 percent correctly identified all three ways for mother-to-childtransmission and four percent did not know of any specific way. The proportion of women aged 15–49 years who correctly identified all three means of mother-to-child transmission varied little byregion or urban/rural area. Subregionally, the percentage was highest in the Mid-Western Hills (41percent) and lowest in the Far Western Mountains (18 percent). There was marked difference inknowledge by age group: young women aged 15–24 (48 percent) were more likely than those aged25 years and over (25 percent) to correctly identify all three means of mother-to-child transmission,and women aged 15–19 years (52 percent) were over three times more likely than women aged 40–49 years (14 percent) to have correct knowledge. Ever married women (30 percent) were less likelythan never married women (55 percent) to have correct knowledge of mother-to-child transmission.Level of knowledge also increased with level of education and household wealth status. Womenwith no education (18 percent) were less likely than women with at least secondary education (60percent) to correctly identify all three means of mother-to-child transmission, and women from thepoorest quintile (23 percent) were less likely than women from the richest quintile (43 percent) tohave correct knowledge.171