| Empowerment as a Predictor of HIV Testing among Married Women in Nepal |
| Authors: |
Roshna Thapa, Youngran Yang, Jeong Hee Kang, and Ju-Hee Nho |
| Source: |
Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, Online first; DOI: 10.1097/JNC.0000000000000021 |
| Topic(s): |
HIV testing
Women’s empowerment
|
| Country: |
Asia
Nepal
|
| Published: |
DEC 2018 |
| Abstract: |
We examined the association of women empowerment and HIV testing in Nepalese women. Data from the 2012 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey provided a sample of 6,579 females ages 15–49 years. Women empowerment subcategories included participation in decision making, attitudes about safer sex negotiation, and sexual autonomy. Only 454 participants (6.9%) had been tested for HIV. Of note, 41.3% had high participation in decision making, 84.5% showed positive attitudes about safer sex negotiation, and 71.8% scored high in sexual autonomy. After adjusting potential confounders, the odds of being tested were higher for women with positive attitudes about safer sex negotiation (adjusted odds ratio = 1.444, 95% confidence interval: 1.006–2.072, p = .046) and high sexual autonomy (adjusted odds ratio = 3.138, 95% confidence interval: 1.375–7.164, p = .007). Age, education, and wealth were independent factors determining the women's HIV testing approach. Our study can be a guide for interventions and policies to empower women and encourage HIV testing in Nepal. |
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