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Using a health belief model (HBM), this study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Iranian midwives in relation to HIV/AIDS protection behavior and to determine the needs of interventional programs for promotion of the behavior among midwives of maternity care units.

This was a cross‐sectional study in five selected hospitals in Isfahan. All 58 midwifery personnel of maternity wards of these hospitals participated in the study. Tools for data collection were a checklist to assess midwives' practice and a questionnaire to assess knowledge, attitude, and the HBM of midwives about HIV/AIDS‐protection methods.

A total of 58 midwifery personnel with average working experience of 10.92±7.98 years were assessed in the study and with a high knowledge, positive attitude and moderate practice about HIV/AIDS protection methods. The midwives perceived two main barriers, which impacted on their self‐efficacy and their protection behavior. These barriers were the emergency conditions of the work and the low availability of protective equipment.

HIV/AIDS protection behavior and HBM of midwives can be promoted by overcoming management barriers such as inadequate midwifery personnel in emergency conditions and insufficient protective equipment. The behavior also needs to be promoted by educational interventions which focus on improving midwives' perceived risk of HIV/AIDS infection.

Improving hospital service access and mothers' care are said to be the best approaches for decreasing maternal mortality. This study aims to evaluate prenatal care (PNC) and suggest ways to improve hospital and health center maternity services.

This was a cross‐sectional descriptive study to evaluate prenatal care services in three domains: service structure; care process; and outcomes. Using non‐randomized quota sampling, 600 PNC clients were assessed in 12 pre‐natal clinics. Two checklists were used to assess facilities and care process and a questionnaire to assess client satisfaction. Validity and reliability were assessed and confirmed.

Six hundred subjects, averaging 29.3 (±9.4) weeks pregnancy, were included. Assessing different care processes demonstrated the following compliance to standards: counseling process 55.5 per cent (±21.2); history‐taking 48.71 per cent (±11.4); vital signs assessment 53.4 per cent (±10.6); general examination 30.2 per cent (±13.3); obstetrical examination 91.8 per cent (±27); blood tests 93.8 per cent (±21.9); urinary tests 86.9 per cent (±26.3); clients' education about peri‐natal‐risk 39.7 per cent (±27.1). Results showed that 0.54 per cent (±13.1) of clients were satisfied with care processes.

Clients and providers were informed about the study's evaluation processes, which may have affected the results.

Study method and results can be used to improve PNC services.

This is the first time a study has focused on Iranian PNC structures, processes and outcomes.