Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Women with disabilities often face unique barriers to accessing healthcare, potentially increasing their vulnerability and reducing engagement with vital health services, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing. This study assessed the prevalence and associated factors of HIV-testing among women with disabilities in Ghana. Cross-sectional data from the 2017–2018 Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, encompassing 819 women with disabilities, were analysed both descriptively and inferentially. The overall prevalence of HIV testing was 48.0% (95%CI = 44.6–51.4). Educational attainment, marital status, and geographical region were key determinants of HIV testing uptake. Women possessing a Senior High School or Tertiary level education demonstrated higher odds of HIV testing compared to those with no formal education. Women residing in Greater Accra, Volta, Brong Ahafo, and Upper West regions were more likely to have undergone HIV testing than those in the Western Region. Never-married women exhibited lower odds of HIV testing uptake than their married counterparts. No statistically significant association was found between various disability types and HIV testing uptake. Less than half of women with disabilities in Ghana had ever tested for HIV, highlighting a substantial unmet need and underscoring the urgent need for targeted interventions, including enhanced, region-specific educational and health promotion initiatives, and tailored support for never-married women with disabilities.
Source: Disabilities
Institutions: James Cook University, University of Cape Coast
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,207
OpenAlex ID: W4416192397