Bidirectional links between HIV and intimate partner violence in pregnancy: implications for prevention of mother-to-child transmission

Introduction

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) has the potential to eliminate new HIV infections among infants. Yet in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, PMTCT coverage remains low, leading to unacceptably high rates of morbidity among mothers and new infections among infants. Intimate partner violence (IPV) may be a structural driver of poor PMTCT uptake, but has received little attention in the literature to date.

Methods

We conducted qualitative research in three Johannesburg antenatal clinics to understand the links between IPV and HIV-related health of pregnant women. We held focus group discussions with pregnant women (n=13) alongside qualitative interviews with health care providers (n=10), district health managers (n=10) and pregnant abused women (n=5). Data were analysed in Nvivo10 using a team-based approach to thematic coding.

Findings

We found qualitative evidence of strong bidirectional links between IPV and HIV among pregnant women. HIV diagnosis during pregnancy, and subsequent partner disclosure, were noted as a common trigger of IPV. Disclosure leads to violence because it causes relationship conflict, usually related to perceived infidelity and the notion that women are “bringing” the disease into the relationship. IPV worsened HIV-related health through poor PMTCT adherence, since taking medication or accessing health services might unintentionally alert male partners of the women''s HIV status. IPV also impacted on HIV-related health via mental health, as women described feeling depressed and anxious due to the violence. IPV led to secondary HIV risk as women experienced forced sex, often with little power to negotiate condom use. Pregnant women described staying silent about condom negotiation in order to stay physically safe during pregnancy.

Conclusions

IPV is a crucial issue in the lives of pregnant women and has bidirectional links with HIV-related health. IPV may worsen access to PMTCT and secondary prevention behaviours, thereby posing a risk of secondary transmission. IPV should be urgently addressed in antenatal care settings to improve uptake of PMTCT and ensure that goals of maternal and child health are met in sub-Saharan African settings.     

Disengagement of HIV-positive pregnant and postpartum women from antiretroviral therapy services: a cohort study

Introduction

Recent international guidelines call for expanded access to triple-drug antiretroviral therapy (ART) in HIV-positive women during pregnancy and postpartum. However, high levels of non-adherence and/or disengagement from care may attenuate the benefits of ART for HIV transmission and maternal health. We examined the frequency and predictors of disengagement from care among women initiating ART during pregnancy in Cape Town, South Africa.

Methods

We used routine medical records to follow-up pregnant women initiating ART within prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services in Cape Town, South Africa. Outcomes assessed through six months postpartum were (1) disengagement (no attendance within 56 days of a scheduled visit) and (2) missed visits (returning to care 14–56 days late for a scheduled visit).

Results

A total of 358 women (median age, 28 years; median gestational age, 26 weeks) initiated ART during pregnancy. By six months postpartum, 24% of women (n=86) had missed at least one visit and an additional 32% (n=115) had disengaged from care; together, 49% of women had either missed a visit or had disengaged by six months postpartum. Disengagement was more than twice as frequent postpartum compared to in the antenatal period (6.2 vs. 2.4 per 100 woman-months, respectively; p<0.0001). In a proportional hazards model, later gestational age at initiation (HR: 1.04; 95% CI: 1.00–1.07; p=0.030) and being newly diagnosed with HIV (HR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.07–2.33; p=0.022) were significant predictors of disengagement after adjusting for patient age, starting CD4 cell count and site of ART initiation.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate that missed visits and disengagement from care occur frequently, particularly post-delivery, among HIV-positive women initiating ART during pregnancy. Women who are newly diagnosed with HIV may be particularly vulnerable and there is an urgent need for interventions both to promote retention overall, as well as targeting women newly diagnosed with HIV during pregnancy.     

Frequency and factors associated with adherence to and completion of combination antiretroviral therapy for prevention of mother to child transmission in western Kenya

Introduction

The objective of this analysis was to identify points of disruption within the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) continuum from combination antiretroviral therapy (CART) initiation until delivery.

Methods

To address this objective, the electronic medical records of all antiretroviral-naïve adult pregnant women who were initiating CART for PMTCT between January 2006 and February 2009 within the Academic Model Providing Access To Healthcare (AMPATH), western Kenya, were reviewed. Outcomes of interest were clinician-initiated change or stop in regimen, disengagement from programme (any, early, late) and self-reported medication adherence. Disengagement was categorized as early disengagement (any interval of greater than 30 days between visits but returning to care prior to delivery) or late disengagement (no visit within 30 days prior to the date of delivery). The association between covariates and the outcomes of interest were assessed using bivariate (Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous variables and the Chi-square test for categorical variables) and multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

A total of 4284 antiretroviral-naïve pregnant women initiated CART between January 2006 and February 2009. The majority of women (89%) reported taking all of their medication at every visit. There were 18 (0.4%) deaths reported. Clinicians discontinued CART in 10 patients (0.7%) while 1367 (31.9%) women disengaged from care. Of those disengaging, 404 (29.6%) disengaged early and 963 (70.4%) late. In the multivariate model, the odds of disengagement decreased with increasing age (odds ratio [OR] 0.982; confidence interval [CI] 0.966–0.998) and increasing gestational age at CART initiation (OR 0.925; CI 0.909–0.941). Women receiving care at a district hospital (OR 0.794; CI 0.644–0.980) or tuberculosis medication (OR 0.457; CI 0.202–0.935) were less likely to disengage. The odds of disengagement were higher in married women (OR 1.277; CI 1.034–1.584). The odds of early disengagement decreased with increasing age at CART initiation (OR 0.902; CI 0.881–0.924). The odds of late disengagement decreased with increasing age at CART initiation (OR 0.936; CI 0.917–0.956). While they increased with higher CD4 counts at CART-initiation (OR 1.001; CI 1.000–1001) and in married women (OR 1.297; CI 1.000–1.695)

Conclusions

In a PMTCT programme embedded in an antiretroviral treatment programme with an active outreach department, the majority (67.4%) of women remained engaged and received uninterrupted prenatal CART.     

Antiretroviral postnatal prophylaxis to prevent HIV vertical transmission: present and future strategies

Introduction

Maternal antiretroviral therapy (ART) with viral suppression prior to conception, during pregnancy and throughout the breastfeeding period accompanied by infant postnatal prophylaxis (PNP) forms the foundation of current approaches to preventing vertical HIV transmission. Unfortunately, infants continue to acquire HIV infections, with half of these infections occurring during breastfeeding. A consultative meeting of stakeholders was held to review the current state of PNP globally, including the implementation of WHO PNP guidelines in different settings and identifying the key factors affecting PNP uptake and impact, with an aim to optimize future innovative strategies.

Discussion

WHO PNP guidelines have been widely implemented with adaptations to the programme context. Some programmes with low rates of antenatal care attendance, maternal HIV testing, maternal ART coverage and viral load testing capacity have opted against risk-stratification and provide an enhanced PNP regimen for all infants exposed to HIV, while other programmes provide infant daily nevirapine antiretroviral (ARV) prophylaxis for an extended duration to cover transmission risk throughout the breastfeeding period. A simplified risk stratification approach may be more relevant for high-performing vertical transmission prevention programmes, while a simplified non-risk stratified approach may be more appropriate for sub-optimally performing programmes given implementation challenges. In settings with concentrated epidemics, where the epidemic is often driven by key populations, infants who are found to be exposed to HIV should be considered at high risk for HIV acquisition. All settings could benefit from newer technologies that promote retention during pregnancy and throughout the breastfeeding period. There are several challenges in enhanced and extended PNP implementation, including ARV stockouts, lack of appropriate formulations, lack of guidance on alternative ARV options for prophylaxis, poor adherence, poor documentation, inconsistent infant feeding practices and in inadequate retention throughout the duration of breastfeeding.

Conclusions

Tailoring PNP strategies to a programmatic context may improve access, adherence, retention and HIV-free outcomes of infants exposed to HIV. Newer ARV options and technologies that enable simplification of regimens, non-toxic potent agents and convenient administration, including longer-acting formulations, should be prioritized to optimize the effect of PNP in the prevention of vertical HIV transmission.     

The effect of a Mentor Mothers program on prevention of vertical transmission of HIV outcomes in Zambézia Province,Mozambique: a retrospective interrupted time series analysis

IntroductionMentor Mothers (MM) provide peer support to pregnant and postpartum women living with HIV (PPWH) and their infants with perinatal HIV exposure (IPE) throughout the cascade of prevention of vertical transmission (PVT) services. MM were implemented in Zambézia Province, Mozambique starting in August 2017. This evaluation aimed to determine the effect of MM on PVT outcomes.MethodsA retrospective interrupted time series analysis was done using routinely collected aggregate data from 85 public health facilities providing HIV services in nine districts of Zambézia. All PPWH (and their IPE) who initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART) from August 2016 through April 2019 were included. Outcomes included the proportion per month per district of: PPWH retained in care 12 months after ART initiation, PPWH with viral suppression and IPE with HIV DNA PCR test positivity by 9 months of age. The effect of MM on outcomes was assessed using logistic regression.ResultsThe odds of 12‐month retention increased 1.5% per month in the pre‐MM period, compared to a monthly increase of 7.6% with‐MM (35–61% pre‐MM, 56–72% with‐MM; p < 0.001). The odds of being virally suppressed decreased by 0.9% per month in the pre‐MM period, compared to a monthly increase of 3.9% with‐MM (49–85% pre‐MM, 59–80% with‐MM; p < 0.001). The odds of DNA PCR positivity by 9 months of age decreased 8.9% per month in the pre‐MM period, compared to a monthly decrease of 0.4% with‐MM (0–14% pre‐MM, 4–10% with‐MM; p < 0.001). The odds of DNA PCR uptake (the proportion of IPE who received DNA PCR testing) by 9 months of age were significantly higher in the with‐MM period compared to the pre‐MM period (48–100% pre‐MM, 87–100% with‐MM; p < 0.001).ConclusionsMM services were associated with improved retention in PVT services and higher viral suppression rates among PPWH. While there was ongoing but diminishing improvement in DNA PCR positivity rates among IPE following MM implementation, this might be explained by increased uptake of HIV testing among high‐risk IPE who were previously not getting tested. Additional efforts are needed to further optimize PVT outcomes, and MM should be one part of a comprehensive strategy to address this critical need.     

Social policy, imperiled communities and HIV/AIDS transmission in prisons: a call for zero tolerance

HIV/AIDS and African-American male imprisonment contribute to the destruction of African-American communities. African-American men and HIV/AIDS are disproportionately represented throughout all sectors of the criminal justice industry, including the juvenile justice system. The criminal justice system contributes to unacceptably high African-American male imprisonment rates and HIV prevalence directly via the ‘war on drugs’ and lax enforcement of institutional policy among other things, and indirectly through perpetuation of economic hardship which further exacerbates imprisonment rates, thus closing the loop of a vicious cycle of revolving prison doors and HIV contraction. This article briefly introduces surrounding socio-political issues that contextualizes the ensuing discussion. It then considers the State of Georgia to explore issues of incidence and how HIV transmission occurs in prisons, uses Prison Rape Elimination Act data to shed light on accountability issues and the degree to which the nature of sex in prisons is romantic or violent, and concludes by offering overarching solutions and encouraging action in response to the myriad associated problems.     

Efficacy of WHO recommendation for continued breastfeeding and maternal cART for prevention of perinatal and postnatal HIV transmission in Zambia

Introduction

To prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV in developing countries, new World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines recommend maternal combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) during pregnancy, throughout breastfeeding for 1 year and then cessation of breastfeeding (COB). The efficacy of this approach during the first six months of exclusive breastfeeding has been demonstrated, but the efficacy of this approach beyond six months is not well documented.

Methods

A prospective observational cohort study of 279 HIV-positive mothers was started on zidovudine/3TC and lopinavir/ritonavir tablets between 14 and 30 weeks gestation and continued indefinitely thereafter. Women were encouraged to exclusively breastfeed for six months, complementary feed for the next six months and then cease breastfeeding between 12 and 13 months. Infants were followed for transmission to 18 months and for survival to 24 months. Text message reminders and stipends for food and transport were utilized to encourage adherence and follow-up.

Results

Total MTCT was 9 of 219 live born infants (4.1%; confidence interval (CI) 2.2–7.6%). All breastfeeding transmissions that could be timed (5/5) occurred after six months of age. All mothers who transmitted after six months had a six-month plasma viral load >1,000 copies/ml (p<0.001). Poor adherence to cART as noted by missed dispensary visits was associated with transmission (p=0.04). Infant mortality was lower after six months of age than during the first six months of life (p=0.02). The cumulative rate of infant HIV infection or death at 18 months was 29/226 (12.8% 95 CI: 7.5–20.8%).

Conclusions

Maternal cART may limit MTCT of HIV to the UNAIDS target of <5% for eradication of paediatric HIV within the context of a clinical study, but poor adherence to cART and follow-up can limit the benefit. Continued breastfeeding can prevent the rise in infant mortality after six months seen in previous studies, which encouraged early COB.     

Tracing defaulters in HIV prevention of mother-to-child transmission programmes through community health workers: results from a rural setting in Zimbabwe

Introduction

High retention in care is paramount to reduce vertical human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programmes but remains low in many sub-Saharan African countries. We aimed to assess the effects of community health worker–based defaulter tracing (CHW-DT) on retention in care and mother-to-child HIV transmission, an innovative approach that has not been evaluated to date.

Methods

We analyzed patient records of 1878 HIV-positive pregnant women and their newborns in a rural PMTCT programme in the Tsholotsho district of Zimbabwe between 2010 and 2013 in a retrospective cohort study. Using binomial regression, we compared vertical HIV transmission rates at six weeks post-partum, and retention rates during the perinatal PMTCT period (at delivery, nevirapine [NVP] initiation at three days post-partum, cotrimoxazole (CTX) initiation at six weeks post-partum, and HIV testing at six weeks post-partum) before and after the introduction of CHW-DT in the project.

Results

Median maternal age was 27 years (inter-quartile range [IQR] 23 to 32) and median CD4 count was 394 cells/µL³ (IQR 257 to 563). The covariate-adjusted rate ratio (aRR) for perinatal HIV transmission was 0.72 (95% confidence intervals [95% CI] 0.27 to 1.96, p=0.504), comparing patient outcomes after and before the intervention. Among fully retained patients, 11 (1.9%) newborns tested HIV positive. ARRs for retention in care were 1.01 (95% CI 0.96 to 1.06, p=0.730) at delivery; 1.35 (95% CI 1.28 to 1.42, p<0.001) at NVP initiation; 1.78 (95% CI 1.58 to 2.01, p<0.001) at CTX initiation; and 2.54 (95% CI 2.20 to 2.93, p<0.001) at infant HIV testing. Cumulative retention after and before the intervention was 496 (85.7%) and 1083 (87.3%) until delivery; 480 (82.9%) and 1005 (81.0%) until NVP initiation; 303 (52.3%) and 517 (41.7%) until CTX initiation; 272 (47.0%) and 427 (34.4%) until infant HIV testing; and 172 (29.7%) and 405 (32.6%) until HIV test result collection.

Conclusions

The CHW-DT intervention did not reduce perinatal HIV transmission significantly. Retention improved moderately during the post-natal period, but cumulative retention decreased rapidly even after the intervention. We showed that transmission in resource-limited settings can be as low as in resource-rich countries if patients are fully retained in care. This requires structural changes to the regular PMTCT services, in which community health workers can, at best, play a complementary role.     

Sexual risk behaviour among people living with HIV according to the biomedical risk of transmission: results from the ANRS-VESPA2 survey

Introduction

People living with HIV (PLHIV) on antiretroviral therapy (ART), with sustained undetectable viral load (sUVL) and no history of sexually transmitted infections for at least six months, are considered to have a low risk of HIV transmission (LRT). We aimed to characterize, in a representative sample of French PLHIV, the sexual behaviour of LRT PLHIV compared with non-LRT PLHIV.

Methods

The cross-sectional ANRS-VESPA2 survey was conducted on adult PLHIV attending French hospitals in 2011. The LRT PLHIV group included participants with sUVL and no sexually transmitted infection for at least 12 months. Socio-behavioural and medical data were collected. Chi-square tests helped compare sexual risk indicators between LRT and non-LRT PLHIV. The survey''s retrospective nature allowed us to perform complementary category-based analyses of LRT PLHIV according to whether they had sUVL for at least 18, 24 or 36 months in three socio-epidemiological groups: men who have sex with men (MSM), other men and women.

Results

Analysis included 2638 PLHIV diagnosed >12 months with available viral load data. The proportion of LRT PLHIV varied from 58% (≥12 months sUVL) to 38% (≥36 months sUVL). Irrespective of sUVL duration, we found the following: 1) LRT men (MSM and other men) were more likely to report having no sexual partner than their non-LRT counterparts. Among men having sexual partners in the previous 12 months, no significant difference was seen between LRT and non-LRT men in the number of sexual partners. LRT women were less likely to report having more than one sexual partner than non-LRT women; 2) LRT MSM were more likely to report being in sexually inactive couples than their non-LRT counterparts; 3) among sexually active participants, no difference was observed between LRT and non-LRT PLHIV concerning condom use with their serodiscordant steady partner or with their most recent casual sexual partners.

Conclusions

LRT PLHIV with sUVL ≥12 months did not report more sexual risk behaviours than their non-LRT counterparts. Because the same result was obtained for those having a sUVL ≥36 months, the hypothesis of increased sexual risk behaviour over time in PLHIV meeting non-transmission biomedical criteria is not supported.     

Risk of death among those awaiting treatment for HIV infection in Zimbabwe: adolescents are at particular risk

Introduction

Mortality among HIV-positive adults awaiting antiretroviral therapy (ART) has previously been found to be high. Here, we compare adolescent pre-ART mortality to that of adults in a public sector HIV care programme in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, we compared adolescent pre-ART outcomes with those of adults enrolled for HIV care in the same clinic. Adolescents were defined as those aged 10–19 at the time of registration. Comparisons of means and proportions were carried out using two-tailed sample t-tests and chi-square tests respectively, for normally distributed data, and the Mann–Whitney U-tests for non-normally distributed data. Loss to follow-up (LTFU) was defined as missing a scheduled appointment by three or more months.

Results

Between 2004 and 2010, 1382 of 1628 adolescents and 7557 of 11,106 adults who registered for HIV care met the eligibility criteria for ART. Adolescents registered at a more advanced disease stage than did adults (83% vs. 73% WHO stage III/IV, respectively, p<0.001), and the median time to ART initiation was longer for adolescents than for adults [21 (10–55) days vs. 15 (7–42) days, p<0.001]. Among the 138 adolescents and 942 adults who never commenced ART, 39 (28%) of adolescents and 135 (14%) of adults died, the remainder being LTFU. Mortality among treatment-eligible adolescents awaiting ART was significantly higher than among adults (3% vs. 1.8%, respectively, p=0.004).

Conclusions

Adolescents present to ART services at a later clinical stage than adults and are at an increased risk of death prior to commencing ART. Improved and innovative HIV case-finding approaches and emphasis on prompt ART initiation in adolescents are urgently needed. Following registration, defaulter tracing should be used, whether or not ART has been commenced.     

Antiretroviral treatment and quality of life in Africans living with HIV: 12-month follow-up in Burkina Faso

Introduction

The scale-up of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has led to a significant improvement in survival of the HIV-positive patient but its effects on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are less known and context-dependent. Our aim was to assess the temporal changes and factors associated with HRQOL among HIV-positive adults initiating HAART in Burkina Faso.

Methods

HIV-positive people initiating HAART were prospectively included and followed over a one-year period in three HIV clinics of Ouagadougou. HRQOL was assessed at baseline and at each follow-up visit using physical (PHS) and mental (MHS) summary scores derived from the Medical Outcome Study 36-Item short-form health survey (MOS SF-36) questionnaire. Toxicity related to HAART modification and self-reported symptoms were recorded during follow-up visits. Determinants associated with baseline and changes in both scores over a one-year period were assessed using a mixed linear model.

Results

A total of 344 patients were included. Their median age at baseline was 37 years [interquartile range (IQR) 30–44] and their median CD4 count was 181 cells/mm³ (IQR 97–269). The mean [standard deviation (SD)] PHS score increased from 45.4 (11.1) at baseline to 60.0 (3.1) at 12 months (p<10⁻⁴) and the mean (SD) MHS score from 42.2 (8.7) to 43.9 (3.4) (p<10⁻²). After one year of treatment, patients that experienced on average two symptoms during follow-up presented with significantly lower PHS (63.9) and MHS (43.8) scores compared to patients that presented no symptoms with PHS and MHS of 68.2 (p<10⁻⁴) and 45.3 (p<10⁻³), respectively.

Discussion

The use of HAART was associated with a significant increase in both physical and mental aspects of the HRQOL over a 12-month period in this urban African population. Perceived symptoms experienced during follow-up visits were associated with a significant impairment in HRQOL. The appropriate and timely management of reported symptoms during the follow-up of HAART-treated patients is a key component to restore HRQOL.