ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examines the factors that influence the gestational age at which a pregnant woman will book at the ante-natal clinic. The gestational age of the baby at booking is important as the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV program has been recently changed. For the best outcomes to be achieved for PMTCT must be started at 14 weeks of gestation. In other words a woman must book early (first trimester).
The study was qualitative using a structured interview as a method of data collection. A sample size of 10 was used. The data collected was analysed to look for emerging themes and ideas that reflect why a particular woman booked when she did. The responses given by the participants illustrated that socio-economic, cultural and personal beliefs, knowledge and perceptions of the ante-natal services all had an influence on when a woman booked