Psychosocial dimensions of HIV infection in pregnancy

Theodore B Jones1

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Wayne State University/Hutzel Women's Hospital, Detroit, Michigan, USA. thjones@med.wayne.edu

As more experience has accrued regarding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in women and HIV infection in pregnancy, there has remained a gap in our understanding of the psychosocial effects of HIV infection upon the pregnant women. There is limited information regarding psychologic and sociologic effects of HIV infection upon pregnancy and vice versa; there is sufficient indication of a relationship between stressors related to each of these and the potential for a deleterious affect upon the pregnancy. These stresses often include the determination whether to disclose or not disclose their serostatus.

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