Treatment dropout after pregnancy: a study of women living with HIV in Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

Despite the investment in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, there is still little data about the proportion of women that are retained in treatment after pregnancy in Brazil. Research worldwide shows that a significant proportion of women drop out of treatment after pregnancy. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with treatment dropout of women that received prenatal care at a federal hospital in Rio de Janeiro between 2016 and 2017 and abandoned treatment after pregnancy. This was a retrospective cohort study using data on prescription refills and hospital medical records. Cross-sectional analysis of data from 454 women showed that 18% were not on cART after pregnancy. Illicit drug use during pregnancy, being less than 35 years old, and being aware of HIV diagnosis before conceiving but not taking cART were factors associated with treatment interruption postpartum. The high prevalence of interruption of HIV treatment after pregnancy suggests that there is a need for better post-natal care to increase adherence in this population.

Keywords: Women living with HIV; mother-to-child transmission; postpartum retention.