Keeping HIV at Bay After Delivery

Postpartum care falls short for women infected with HIV during pregnancy.

Perinatal HIV transmission is relatively uncommon in the U.S., but postpartum maternal viral suppression remains a largely unmet goal. To measure referral to and retention of HIV-related care within the first year after delivery, investigators reviewed data on 228 women with diagnoses of HIV infection during pregnancy between 2008 and 2010 in New York state.

Thirty women (13%) did not receive HIV-related care until after delivery; all either lacked a viral load measurement or had unsuppressed viral load within 12 months postpartum. Both perinatal HIV transmission and low birth weight were more likely among these women compared with those who initiated HIV-related care before delivery. Among women who initiated such care, 74% did so within 30…

Reviewing Author

Anna Wald, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardAicuris; Bayer; GSK; Innovative Molecules; Merck; MAPP Biopharmaceutical (Safety Monitoring Committee)

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Grant/Research SupportNIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; GSK; Moderna; Assembly Biomedical; Aicuris

Editorial BoardsSexually Transmitted Diseases; Sexually Transmitted Infections; Journal of Infectious Diseases

Leadership PositionsID Division Chiefs Community of Practice (At-Large Member)