Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011:2011:519492.
doi: 10.1155/2011/519492. Epub 2011 Jan 19.

Associations between HIV Antiretroviral Therapy and the Prevalence and Incidence of Pregnancy in Rakai, Uganda

Fredrick E Makumbi  1 , Gertrude Nakigozi, Steven J Reynolds, Anthony Ndyanabo, Tom Lutalo, David Serwada, Fred Nalugoda, Maria Wawer, Ron Gray
Affiliations

Associations between HIV Antiretroviral Therapy and the Prevalence and Incidence of Pregnancy in Rakai, Uganda

Fredrick E Makumbi et al. AIDS Res Treat. 2011.

Abstract

Background. Use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) may be associated with higher pregnancy rates. Methods. The prevalence and incidence of pregnancy was assessed in 712 HIV+ pre-ART women of reproductive age (WRA) (15-45) and 244 HIV+ WRA initiating ART. Prevalence rate ratios (PRR), incidence rate ratios (IRR), and 95% confidence interval (CI) were assessed. Results. The incidence of pregnancy was 13.1/100 py among women in pre-ART care compared to 24.6/100 py among women on ART (IRR = 0.54; 95% CI 0.37, 0.81, p < 0.0017). The prevalence of pregnancy at ART initiation was 12.0% with CD4 counts 100-250 compared with 3.2% with CD4 <100 (PRR = 3.24, CI 1.51-6.93), and the incidence of pregnancy while on ART was highest in women with a good immunologic response. Desire for more children was a very important factor in fertility. Conclusion. ART was associated with increased pregnancy rates in HIV+ women, particularly those with higher CD4 counts and good immunologic response to therapy, suggesting a need to strengthen reproductive health services for both women and their partners that could address their fertility decisions/intentions particularly after ART initiation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Probability of pregnancy while on ART among women, 15–45 years.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Cooper D, Harries J, Myer L, Orner P, Bracken H. “Life is still going on”: reproductive intentions among HIV-positive women and men in South Africa. Social Science and Medicine. 2007;65(2):274–283. - PubMed
    1. AIDS epidemic update, 2007.
    1. Carpenter LM, Nakiyingi JS, Ruberantwari A, et al. Estimates of the impact of HIV-1 infection on fertility in a rural Ugandan population cohort. Health Transition Review. 1997;7(supplement 2):S113–S126.
    1. Barbieri M, LeCoeur S, Prasitwattanasere S, et al. HIV and fertility in Thailand. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of Population Association of America; 2000; Los Angeles, Calif, USA.
    1. Desgrées Du Loû A, Msellati P, Ramon R, et al. HIV-1 infection and reproductive history: a retrospective study among pregnant women, Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, 1995-1996. International Journal of STD and AIDS. 1998;9(8):452–456. - PubMed