-tells HIV-negative wife: ‘If you ain’t got it, I ain’t got it’
DESPITE the laudable success scored by the national Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme in significantly reducing the number of  babies being born with HIV to mothers who are HIV-positive, the programme is yet to achieve substantial success in terms of getting the male partners in those unions to join their spouses in getting tested. And in the face of sustained efforts by local health professionals to encourage male partner testing at the PMTCT facilities used by their wives, this initiative continues to be a major bugbear to the programme, invariably leading to stress and strained relations within the home.

Because of the difficulty in securing the cooperation of men in this bid,  stakeholders on the national PMTCT programme have, for the last several years,  been brainstorming and expending much energy and resources with the hope of making a breakthrough,  but with negligible success.

A senior health official recently  noted that even though the male response to getting tested at mobile booths or testing centres on national testing days has been phenomenal, when it comes to accompanying their wives or in any other way using the services provided by her clinic, “it’s a different ball game altogether.”

“Many of them literally ‘freeze’ when the question is put to them,” she said, “and tender all sorts of excuses for not going.”  She observed that the same men who would quickly join their male counterparts on national testing days and with great zeal turn up at testing centres would not necessarily entertain any talk about  joining their spouses to get counseled and tested.

The official conceded it may be the fear of the consequences, where both partners test at the same facility and the male partner’s result is positive.

“It seems to be a haunting fear which requires intensified intervention from us as health professionals since even where the wives test negative, it does not necessarily make the job of getting the male partners  to test,  any easier, ” she added.

It was learnt that at one-on- one sessions, the women claimed that in cases where they (women) test positive and the clinic requests that their partner accompanies them on a subsequent visit,  the men would tell them:  “You go ahead; I will come later.” Invariably, they never do.

And surprisingly, on the other hand, if a wife who has tested negative prompts her spouse to test as well, the men would reply  in a matter-of-fact manner, saying: “Is wha wrong wid you girl?  If you ain’t got it, I ain’t got it.  Look, you rest yusself yeh!”  And that’s where his response ends. 

Then in cases where females tested positive and clinicians and the health centre determined that there was urgent need to meet with the male partner, if the male partner stoutly refuses to attend clinic, on the invitation of the wife, the counselor/tester team would agree to visit the home to facilitate that meeting.  However, the counseling staff  have reported having met with hostility, as some of the men would set their dogs on them and chase the team out of the yard.

Against this back drop, the officials of the PMTCT programme are calling on males  to take the business of counseling and testing seriously, and cooperate with their spouses and the officials at the health facilities who are there to serve in their  best interest.

The only way one can know for sure what his sero -status is (HIV-negative or positive), is by taking the test. Whether an expectant mother and her spouse both test positive for the virus, or are sero-discordant, meaning that one is negative and the other positive, the counselors will have information which will help bnoth of you make wise and informed choices.  If at a later date your CD4 cell count is found to have reduced to the extent that you need to be placed on antiretroviral therapy (HIV medication). You will be advised accordingly and further counseled

For a couple in which the expectant mother is on the PMTCT programme, there is a lot that you can do to ensure the health and safety of your unborn child.  Fathers, you too, have a role to play.   We urge you, talk with your clinicians, cooperate with them.

If you test positive, you’ll find that your encounter with the staff at the clinic will mark the opening up of a whole new and promisisng chapter in your lives.  This is so, particularly in the light that antiretroviral therapy, which will one day come into play for you, now has the ability to assure you a longer and healthier quality of life.  And this is provided that you continue to cooperate with your clinicians and take the medication exactly as prescribed.