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Among the factors that considered as a stumbling blocks of pregnant women to utilize HIV testing for PMTCT,social stigma and discrimination as the major threat that the women have encountered. Besides, it commented the inadequacy of male partners´ involvement for the betterment of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission programs. Similarly, the study discovered that inaccessibility of infrastructure has constrained the services being delivered by the health institution.Even though pregnant women intended to conduct voluntary counseling for PMTCT, matters like personal, social, economic and institutional factors in general have been hindering their judgment to utilize the service effectively. Thus, by exerting efforts that able to empower women decision in line with poverty eradication it is possible to minimize the intensity of the problem.

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Anteneh Mekonnen Yimer, Masters in Social Work (MSW) and BA in Educational Planning and Management from Addis Ababa University. He is working in the Ethiopian Civil Service College as HIV and AIDS Training and Research Coordinator and Consultant.

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