Interruption of ART During Pregnancy: Bad Idea

In a study of nearly 1000 HIV-infected pregnant women, treatment interruptions were associated with a significant increase in mother-to-child transmission rates.

Current U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) guidelines clearly recommend that when an HIV-infected woman on effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) becomes pregnant, she should continue to receive ART. However, treatment interruptions — particularly during the first trimester — still occur, partly because of concerns about potential adverse effects of antiretrovirals on the fetus. To evaluate the effects of such interruptions on the rate of vertical HIV transmission, investigators studied 937 HIV-infected women in Italy who received ART during pregnancy.

Ninety-two of the women interrupted ART — 81 in the first trimester (at a median gestational age of 6 weeks, for a median duration of 8 weeks) and 11 in the third trimester (a…

Reviewing Author

Keith Henry, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardViiV Advisory Board

Editorial BoardsJAIDS: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes

Keith Henry, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardViiV Advisory Board

Editorial BoardsJAIDS: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes

Interruption of ART During Pregnancy: Bad Idea

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Reviewing Author