Researchers retrospectively examined mother-child pairs in Philadelphia between 2005-2013 for timing of diagnosis of HIV and the relationship to engagement in prenatal care and ultimately, viral suppression. Of the 25% of the sample that was diagnosed with HIV during pregnancy, only 39% were considered to be adequately engaged in prenatal care. When adjusting for patient factors, those diagnosed during pregnancy were less likely to receive antiretroviral therapy and were also less likely to achieve viral supression than those diagnosed prior to pregnancy. Women that were not adequately engaged in prenatal care were also less likely to receive antiretroviral therapy and achieve viral supression.
Citation:
Momplaisir FM, Brady KA, Fekete T, Thompson DR, Diez Roux A, Yehia BR. Time of HIV diagnosis and engagement in prenatal care impact virologic outcomes of pregnant women with HIV. PLoS One. 2015 Jul 1;10(7):e0132262.