AEGiS-15IAC: Characteristics of HIV seropositive and seronegative women presenting for antenatal care and delivery in India.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Characteristics of HIV seropositive and seronegative women presenting for antenatal care and delivery in India.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. C11258)

Bharucha KE, Sastry J, Phadke M, Malathi R, Nayak U, Bulakh P, Upadhye V, Ambike N, Suryawanshi N, Pisal H, Kshirsagar A, Joshi S, Propper L, Gupte N, Bollinger RC, Bhosale RA
B.J. Medical College, Pune, India

BACKGROUND: A national program to prevent mother-to-child transmission through antenatal HIV screening has now been implemented widely in India. However, many women present to the delivery room (DR) without any or limited antenatal care. This study was undertaken to characterize and compare women presenting for HIV screening in antenatal clinics, in the delivery room and immediately post-partum in India.

METHODS: Between August 16, 2002 and December 31, 2003, consenting pregnant women at least 18 years of age presenting to the antenatal clinic (ANC), DR and post-partum ward (PPW) of the Sassoon General Hospital in Pune, India were offered rapid HIV screening, as well as routine clinical investigations. HIV seropositive women were offered antiretroviral prophylaxis.

RESULTS: Of 10,161 women screened, 363 (3.6%) were HIV-infected. Mean age (23.4 vs 22.5 years), parity (1.3 vs 1.3) and gestational age (26.0 vs 24.1 weeks) of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected mothers were similar. The HIV seroprevalence in the ANC, DR and PPW was 2.8%, 2.6% and 3.6% respectively, while in pregnant women referred for tertiary care it was 6.7% (Prevalence in ANC vs referred p<0.0001). Intention to breastfeed was expressed by 96.1% seropositive vs 99.6% negative women. VDRL and TPHA positivity was found in 0.5% and 0.64% of HIV seropositive and negative mothers, respectively. Conclusion In India, maternal HIV screening programs that are limited to the antenatal period will not reach a significant percentage of pregnant mothers who may be at greater risk for HIV infection, than mothers with access to prenatal screening. Age, parity and gestational age are similar in HIV infected and uninfected mothers in India. Serologic evidence of syphilis is relatively low in both HIV-infected and uninfected Indian mothers.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV Seropositivity, Prenatal Care, Delivery, Obstetric, HIV Infections, HIV Seroprevalence, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Prevalence, Syphilis, Mass Screening, Parity, India, Humans, Female, Child, Pregnancy, surgery

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C11258