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Characteristics associated with suboptimal viral suppression at delivery in human immunodeficiency virus-1-infected pregnant women.

Louis JM, Buhari MA, Blackwell SC, Refuerzo J, Allen D, Gonik B, Jones TB

Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to determine clinical characteristics and factors associated with suboptimal viral suppression at delivery in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women. STUDY DESIGN: All HIV-infected women who delivered at a single urban tertiary care center from January 1999 to June 2004 were studied. Women were divided into 2 groups based on HIV viral load (VL) proximate to delivery: VL < 1000 copies per milliliter and VL > or = 1000 copies per milliliter. Demographic and clinical factors were analyzed and compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: A total of 146 women had adequate data available for analysis: 102 (69.9%) had VL < 1000 copies per milliliter and 44 (30.1%) had VL > or = 1000 copies per milliliter at delivery. Women with a viral load > or = 1000 copies per milliliter at delivery were more likely to have a baseline viral load VL > or = 10,000 copies per milliliter (66.7% vs 32%, P < .001) and less likely to report medication adherence, (50% vs 87.8%, P < .001). CONCLUSION: Our findings support the concept that in addition to antiviral medical therapy, intervention to improve adherence and maintaining a low baseline VL are key components to VL suppression in pregnancy.

Published 13 September 2005 in Am J Obstet Gynecol, 193(3): 1266-9.
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