Stefanie Theuring|Laura Jefferys|Philo Nchimbi|Paulina Mbezi|Julius Sewangi
Increasing Partner Attendance in Antenatal Care and HIV Testing Services: Comparable Outcomes Using Written versus Verbal Invitations in an Urban Facility-Based Controlled Intervention Trial in Mbeya, Tanzania
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin|Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin|Ministry of Health and Social Welfare|Ministry of Health and Social Welfare|Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
many subsaharan african settings male partner involvement antenatal care anc remains low although great benefits maternal infant health outcomes long recognised particular regarding prevention hiv transmission yet paucity evidence regarding effectiveness strategies increase male partner involvement controlled intervention trial ruanda health centre mbeya tanzania assessed effectiveness invitation letters male involvement anc pregnant women approaching anc without partners received official letters inviting partner attend anc control group instructed verbally invite partners partner attendance recorded two subsequent anc visits rates male partner return couple voluntary counselling testing cvct influencing factors analysed 199 anc clients total 97 assigned invitation letter group 30 309 returned male partners anc control group 102 women 28 275 returned partner groups cvct rates among jointly returning couples 100 partner returncvct rate statistically different intervention control group 12 p 059 former partner attendance anc previous pregnancy factor found significantly linked partner return p 003 study demonstrates rather simple measures increase male partner attendance anc cvct effective written verbal invitations comparable outcomes terms practicability subsaharan african settings recommend systematic coaching anc clients verbally invite male partners first instance followed written invitation letters partners case nonattendance studies covering urban rural settings informative effective translation policy