OBJECTIVES: to analyze the coverage of counseling and anti-HIV testing, and to identify factors associated with testing during antenatal care. METHODS: cross-sectional study, with women identified through the information systems in five municipalities in the Northwestern Paraná, Brazil, with deliveries between January to March, 2003. Data was collected during home interviews and an HIV test was considered performed if it could be confirmed in the maternity card or in the reference laboratory records. The χ2 and Fisher exact tests were used in the statistical analysis (α=0.05). RESULTS: all 435 women who were interviewed had attended prenatal visits, and HIV testing coverage was 89.6% [95%CI: 86.8-92.4]. No significant associations were found between HIV testing and variables related to socioeconomic conditions, vulnerability and prenatal care. Although the majority was tested, only 13.6% reported they had received pretest counseling. CONCLUSIONS: coverage of HIV testing during pregnancy was considered satisfactory. The lack of association between testing and the studied variables indicates that the test is being requested indistinctly, as the Ministry of Health recommends. However, the low frequency of counseling and delay in receiving the results may be a sign of problems during prenatal care.
Prenatal care; AIDS serodiagnosis; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Counseling
