Expectant Mothers’ Lived Experiences with Prenatal HIV Counseling and Testing

Abstract

This qualitative phenomenological study explored expectant mothers lived experiences with prenatal HIV counseling and testing in a tertiary-level hospital in Tondo, Manila. Fifteen pregnant women who had undergone HIV counseling and testing were recruited through purposive sampling and participated in individual, semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Interview data were transcribed and analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step phenomenological method, supported by NVivo for coding and organization. Five major themes emerged: awareness toward HIV counseling and testing; consideration of HIV counseling and testing; experiences undergoing HIV counseling and testing; the crucial role of HIV counseling and testing; and knowledge of HIV counseling and testing. Women reported varying levels of prior awareness, reliance on healthcare professionals and relatives when deciding to undergo testing, and a range of emotional responses during the process. Clear explanations, informed consent, confidentiality, reassurance, and an understanding of maternal and infant protection shaped their experiences. The participants’ reported results were nonreactive; accordingly, the findings describe experiences with routine prenatal testing rather than experiences of receiving a new HIV diagnosis. The study indicates that patient-centered pretest and post-test communication and accessible information are important to expectant mothers’ understanding, confidence, and decision-making. Findings informed a proposed health-promotion and information-dissemination approach to prenatal HIV counseling and testing, guided by Nola Pender’s Health Promotion Model.