Is protease inhibitors based antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy associated with an increased risk of preterm birth? Systematic review and a meta-analysis

Background Antiretroviral therapy is recommended during pregnancy to decrease the risk of perinatal transmission of HIV-1 infection and to improve maternal health. However, some studies have reported that antiretroviral treatment (ART) containing protease inhibitors (PI) is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. In contrast, other studies have reported no increased risk. This meta-analysis was conducted to derive a more reliable estimate of the association between the prenatal use of PI based ART regimen and preterm birth.