Epidemiology of HIV in pregnant women and its relationship with the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bárbara Brandão Lopes, Ane Kelly Lima Ramalho, Mônica Oliveira Batista Oriá and 3 others
PMID 36972324WHAT IT FOUND
Pregnant women with HIV in Ceará had lower detection rates and less antiretroviral use during childbirth after the pandemic.
Nurses should verify HIV status, treatment adherence, and delivery records in maternity care.
Key findings
01The HIV detection rate in pregnant women fell from 231 per 100,000 live births before the pandemic to 122.67 after it began.
02Use of antiretrovirals during childbirth fell from 63.9% before the pandemic to 43.97% after, and pregnant women had 1.82 times more chances of not using drug therapy after the pandemic began.
03After the pandemic began, vaginal delivery was reported in 6.38% of cases and caesarean section in 41.14%, while not informed delivery increased to 50.35% (p < 0.001).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used existing notified records, so pregnant women who were never tested or whose cases were not reported are not captured. A substantial number of antiretroviral records were ignored and excluded, and many delivery records were not informed. The design compares periods and cannot prove that the pandemic caused the observed changes. The data come from one Brazilian state, so the findings may not apply to other regions or health systems.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the lower detection rate as proof that HIV in pregnancy is decreasing. It may reflect missed testing or reporting, especially because many delivery records were not informed and many antiretroviral records were missing.