Key Factors Associated With HIV/AIDS Knowledge Among Married Reproductive-Age Women in Sumba, Indonesia

Background: Although HIV incidence in Indonesia is gradually decreasing, new cases continue to be reported across the provinces and over half a million Indonesians are estimated to be living with HIV. In Southwest Sumba, the HIV epidemic has spread to 11 subdistricts and most female cases of HIV are among reproductive-age women. Objectives: To investigate the level of comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge among reproductive-age women in Southwest Sumba and identify sources through which Sumbanese women learn about HIV/AIDS. Methods: The study used a cross-sectional design and convenience sampling in four selected church parishes. One hundred and sixty-five women were screened for eligibility, and the total completed sample was 159 women. The study’s questionnaire was developed from the IDHS (Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey) 2017 and the HIV-KQ-18 (HIV Knowledge Questionnaire-18) with Cronbach’s alpha 0.862. Mediation analysis was used to investigate potential mediators of the relationship between socioeconomic status and HIV/AIDS knowledge. Results: Overall, the study’s results show that slightly more than half of the women (59.1%) scored as having no to little knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Most incorrect answers pertained either to Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission (MTCT) or misconceptions about the virus. Besides that, secondary and higher education became the strongest predictor of ever having heard about HIV/AIDS, with an odds ratio of 19.2. Furthermore, One-way ANOVA showed that the mean of HIV/AIDS knowledge increased as the number of sources increased. Finally, mediation analysis using the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) confirmed that women with higher SES had higher knowledge of HIV/AIDS because they were more exposed to HIV/AIDS information through the media and healthcare providers.