AEGiS-15IAC: Mother to child hiv transmission: investigating the role of psychosocial factors in risk reduction among newly HIV infected pregnant women in nigeria: preliminary report.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Mother to child hiv transmission: investigating the role of psychosocial factors in risk reduction among newly HIV infected pregnant women in nigeria: preliminary report.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. B10039)

Olley BO
Department of Psychology, Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Ibadan.l, Ibadan, Nigeria

Objectives: Several programs have been launched by international government and agencies to offer short course antiretroviral drug regimens to reduce mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV. There is, for example, growing evidence that stress, negative life events and psychopathology contribute significantly to the onset, experience, and course of HIV/AIDS. The impact of these psychosocial factors in reducing the risk of MTCT remains unsubstantiated.

METHODS: Ninety-five pregnant women (45 HIV-positive pregnant women (mean gestation period 18 weeks) and 50 HIV-negative women (mean gestation period 20 weeks) were studied as part of a prospective evaluation of the role of psychosocial factors in risk reduction for MTCT. All the women underwent extensive, clinical, psychosocial and serological assessment at baseline.

RESULTS: At baseline, compared with HIV-negative pregnant women, positive women reported significantly more negative stressful life events in the past 6 months prior to study and higher levels of depressive symptoms. They were significantly younger in age and had fewer years of education. There were no significant differences between the two groups in sexual risk behaviours, knowledge of HIV/AIDS, disclosure to sex partners and the degree of social support. Among HIV-positive pregnant women 34 (76%) did not disclose their sero status to their partners. All who had disclosed, with the exception of one woman, had experienced some form of discrimination.

CONCLUSION: In HIV-positive women, rates of perinatal transmission may be associated with more negative stressful life events and more depressive symptoms in the antenatal period. Further, women who do not disclose their serostatus and who have less instrumental social support may be at a higher risk for perinatal HIV transmission at delivery.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Seropositivity, Mothers, Sexual Partners, Sexual Behavior, Nigeria, Pregnant Women, Child, Humans, Female, Pregnancy, transmission, psychology, organization & administration, methods

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