Mother to Child Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Transmission: What HIV-Infected Women Think. Our Experience in Rome, Italy

This study asked 152 HIV-positive women, using a self-reported questionnaire, about their knowledge of perinatal HIV transmission and their view of whether antiretroviral treatment can limit viral transmission. The participants, ranging in age from 18 to 45 years, had had periodic clinical and blood examinations at the authors' clinic. When asked about the rate of HIV transmission from mother to child and given four choices, the largest number chose a transmission rate of 50% to 80%. Only 14.5% of the women gave the correct response of less than 5%. When asked whether antiretroviral treatment can lessen the risk of the baby being infected, 54% of women replied affirmatively. Women who responded correctly and incorrectly to the two questions could not be distinguished with respect to clinical or viro-immunological findings, sociodemographic profile, or antiretroviral therapy. These findings emphasize the importance of providing appropriate counseling about perinatal HIV transmission to all infected women of reproductive age. Although antiretroviral treatment should not be routinely withheld during pregnancy, the benefits and risks must be weighed in each instance. Current data on long-term side effects in the infant are inconclusive. Women who know about options and outcomes will be able to take a more productive role in making pertinent decisions, hopefully with less anxiety.