Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Rapid Screening of HIV Reverse Transcriptase and Integrase Inhibitors
Published on: April 9, 2014
[Efavirenz (Sustiva) in pregnancy: a study about 12 HIV patients]
V Jeantils1, M-A Khuong, J-L Delassus
1Service des maladies infectieuses, hôpital Jean-Verdier (AP-HP), Seine-Saint-Denis, avenue du 14-Juillet, 93140 Bondy, France. vincent.jeantils@jvr.aphp.fr
Objective:
In developed countries, where the mother-to-child transmission rate of HIV is low (1 to 1,5%), a major medical concern is the safety of new therapies during pregnancy. Teratogenicity has been described with an NNRTI, efavirenz (Sustiva), in animal model, regarding neural tube defects.
Patients And Methods:
We have made a retrospective study of pregnancies starting with efavirenz with a special focus on foetal and infant abnormalities.
Results:
Three abnormalities were notified no one linked to a neural tube defect.
Discussion And Conclusion:
In the English literature published, although the prevalence of abnormalities in human is low (1,7%) during pregnancy, due to the potent teratogenicity, efavirenz is contraindicated in the first trimester and should be used with caution in women of childbearing potential.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Retrovirus Life Cycles
Antiviral Nucleoside Inhibitors
Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis
Inhibitors of Virion Maturation and Assembly
Pharmacokinetics: Drug–Food and Drug–Viral Interactions

