HIV Testing and its Associated Factors among Women in Myanmar and Other Selected Southeast Asian Countries

Introduction: Myanmar has prioritized HIV testing services and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services to reach the milestone - 95% of people living with HIV know their status and eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Many people living with HIV had late diagnoses for HIV in many countries in the Southeast Asian region. This study assessed HIV testing and its associated factors among women aged 15-49 years in Myanmar and other selected Southeast Asian countries - Cambodia, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste.Methods: Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed using the 2015-16 Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data to determine factors associated with lifetime HIV testing uptake by marital status and having an HIV test as part of antenatal care (ANC) among women in Myanmar. A comparative analysis of the four selected countries was conducted using data from the 2015-16 Myanmar DHS, the 2014 Cambodia DHS, the 2017 Philippines DHS, and the 2016 Timor-Leste DHS to assess lifetime HIV testing and associated factors among women. Literature review and the conceptual framework adopted from Anderson’s Behavioral Model of health services guided the inclusion of potential predictors in this study. Results: The proportions of lifetime HIV testing among women aged 15-49 years were significantly varied by marital status in Myanmar. Poorest wealth index, living in rural areas, lack of comprehensive knowledge of HIV, having < 4 ANC visits, and no counseling on HIV during ANC were negatively associated with having an HIV test as part of ANC in Myanmar. Lifetime HIV testing rate was highest in Cambodia and lowest in Timor-Leste. Marital status, education level, wealth index, places of residence, and comprehensive knowledge of HIV were significantly associated with lifetime HIV testing uptake among women in all selected Southeast Asian countries. Conclusion: Health education campaigns for HIV should target women and adolescent girls to increase comprehensive knowledge of HIV. Effective integration of HIV testing services to related healthcare services, and tailoring HIV testing services to rural communities and youth, financial assistance, and a multisectoral approach for creating more educational and employment opportunities are needed to reduce gaps in HIV testing among women