Knowledge and attitude toward HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among women of reproductive age in Tanzania

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an antiretroviral medication used to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Owing to the high incidence and prevalence of HIV Infection among women compared to men, PrEP has the potential to reduce the rate of HIV infection among women in sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania. This study aimed to assess women’s knowledge of and attitudes toward PrEP and its associated factors as an effective strategy for HIV prevention, using nationwide data. This study utilized data from the 2022 Tanzania demographic and health survey conducted between February and July 2022, the stratified sampling, by geographic region and urban/rural areas, employed a 2-stage process: primary sampling units from census areas, then households via probability systematic sampling. STATA 18.5 was used for data management and analysis, including descriptive statistics and weighted logistic regression to identify factors associated with PrEP knowledge and attitudes. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the strength of association. A total of 15,254 women with a mean age of 29.3 years (standard deviation = 9.8) were included in the study. The study found that 5.6% of women had knowledge of and positive attitudes towards HIV PrEP. In the adjusted analysis, those aged 35 to 49 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.52–2.88), women with media exposure (AOR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.24–1.83), women who had visited a health facility in the past 12 months (AOR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.18–1.75), women who had ever heard of sexually transmitted infections (AOR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.11–2.04), and those who had ever been tested for HIV (AOR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.02–2.15) were significantly associated with knowledge and attitude towards HIV PrEP among women of reproductive age in Tanzania. This study found low knowledge of and attitude toward PrEP, highlighting the importance of PrEP education in women of reproductive age. However, strengthening PrEP education in health facilities’ service entry points, expanding educational initiatives through strategic community outreach programs, and media engagement represent transformative approaches to improving knowledge and attitude.