MANAGEMENT OF HIV POSITIVE PREGNANCIES IN ONTARIO: CURRENT STATUS

Background AIDS is one of the biggest health crises we face today. With nearly 20 million women infected with the virus that causes it, HIV, maternal transmission of HIV is increasingly becoming a serious concern and hindrance in stemming the proliferation of the disease. While an ever increasing number of pregnant women are being administered anti-retrovirals to mitigate the vertical transmission of the virus, little is known about the changing trends in the type of agents used and the duration of therapy. Objectives This paper attempts to identify any changes in the pattern of HIV management in pregnant women for the period of time spanning 1998 to 2005. Methods Data from the charts of 183 patients were reviewed. A retrospective, longitudinal and cross-sectional patient chart review was employed to obtain data. Parameters such as therapeutic management of HIV, class of drugs used and duration of treatment were assessed to identify any evolving patterns over the course of the study. Results It was seen that over time, the number of women receiving adequate therapeutic interventions has steadily increased. We also identified evolving trends in terms of the classes of anti-retrovirals employed and the duration of prophylaxis. Conclusion The strategies employed in the management of HIV positive pregnancies in Ontario, while evolving over time, were found to be in line with the guidelines in place. The information delivered by this study might enable the medical community to assess the progress in dealing with this challenge thus far and further fine tune the current strategy.