CHAPTER ONE

Introduction Background

HIV infection is a very serious disease caused by the HIV virus. The virus was first identified in
the early 1980’s. The virus infects only human and cause progressive destruction of the

Immune system over several years leading to AIDS which is the full blown form of the disease
(child health, 2002)

HIV stands for Human immunodeficiency virus, the virus that cause AIDS, HIV breaks down the
body’s defense mechanism which help body to fight against infection and diseases the body’s
immune system by weakened immune system (MOH, 2006)

When the immune system becomes weak or compromised the body loses its protection against
illness. As time pass the immune system is unable to fight serious HIV related infections and the
person may develop some type of cancers, cancers associated with HIV/AIDS includes Kaposis
Sarcoma Lymphoma and certain skin cancers (Rawled, 2004)

HIV is an endemic disease quite unlike any other combining the problems of lifelong medical
disease with immense social, psychological, economic and public consequences, since we are
living in a global village where human interactionist has become fast and frequent disease like
HIV are no more alien to us. HIV/AIDS in Pakistan is slowly gaining reorganization as a public
health issue of great importance. (UNAIDS, 2009)

The knowledge of women attending maternal child health/family planning clinic on HIV/AIDS
was found to be adequate in Pakistan in 2006 (WHO,2009)

In Carolina and in North and South America but it was transformed in the seeking of their status
test few would proceed or accept to be tested most would ignore and leave after counseling and
about 50% tested through persuasion (Ardelehiau research, 2005).

HIV in pregnant women has high risk factor/behavior at a tertiary care hospital. All pregnant
women attending antenatal booking clinic were assessed via a pre-designed. Those with risk
factors were offered rapid screening test (capillus HIV ½ ) positive result was confirmed with
Elisa test result out of 5263 antenatal booking 785 (24%) women were identified with a risk
factor (WHO, 2010)

HIV screening test was done among 77 women (99%) and 6 women refused testing 3 women
(0.3%) were positive 2 out of 3 were confirmed positive on Elisa husband of both tested one
found positive. In Dubai to 2 women had blood transfusion her husband was HIV negative
(WHO, 2002).

In Mwanza Tanzania in 2004 half of the women in Bukoba capital of Kager ¼ of the pregnant
women seeking antenatal care was found to be positive. The Impact has also fallen in Umbreve
rural site in Kilimanjaro where 20% tested only 3% was found positive and 2% proved to be
positive in 2004 (WHO, 2004)

In sub-Sahara Africa where HIV Impact is highest, women are most affected than men about 13
women for every 10 women. This difference is even more marked among young people (15-24
years) with 3 out of 4 people living with HIV being female.The high HIV Impact in women of
child bearing age threaten child survival and development globally as 6400,000 children are
infected with HIV (UNAIDS, 2007)