Pre-marital HIV screening in Jayapura Regency: A phenomenological study

Background: Premarital screening is a series of examinations that prospective bridal couples must undergo. Infectious disease screening is one of the important screening steps that prospective brides and grooms must carry out, including examination for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and HIV-AIDS. Premarital HIV screening is carried out to prepare for a healthy and planned pregnancy and prevent HIV transmission in the family. Purpose: To explore phenomenologically the efforts to implement premarital screening in Jayapura Regency Method: The research approach is qualitative with a phenomenological research paradigm. Participants in this research were couples who were getting married, people in charge of the Infectious Disease Management program at the Community Health Center, and Persons in Charge of Infectious Disease Management at the Jayapura Regency Health Service. The sampling technique used a purposive sampling technique of 6 informants. Result: This research produced 3 themes, namely: premarital HIV screening in perception, the urgency of implementing premarital HIV screening and factors influencing the implementation of premarital screening. Perceptions of premarital screening were obtained from informants' statements regarding the understanding and purpose of the examination. From several categories, 3 themes were obtained, one of which was policy. Policies are obtained from 9 categories and 2 sub-themes schematically. Conclusion: The concept map resulting from the exploration of the premarital screening program in Jayapura Regency can be a reference or indicator in formulating a premarital screening program. Premarital screening program design can be carried out by analyzing the situation of need or urgency in Jayapura Regency. Suggestion: Support or strong reasons based on data are needed so that this program can be a recommendation for stakeholders.