Factors associated with the mortality of women living with HIV: a case-control study

This case-control study investigated factors associated with death among women living with HIV (WLHIV) in the city of Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil. Sociodemographic, parental and reproductive characteristics, exposure to HIV, laboratory markers and adherence to treatmen were variables examined. The cases were selected among WLHIV who were followed up by health care services for the vertical transmission of HIV (VT) and who died between the years of 2007 and 2017. The controls were the WLHIV who did not die. Sixty-six cases and 264 controls were included. Conditional Logistic Regression was conducted to estimate the Crude and Adjusted Odds Ratio. A conceptual block model was considered for the multivariate analysis. In addition to multiple pregnancies and worse immunological characteristics, WLHIV between 18 and 29 years of age (OR = 25.72; 95% CI: 4.45-148.42), drug users (OR = 7.09; 95% CI: 1.24-40.23) and who were not followed up during prenatal care (OR = 8.43; 95% CI: 1.58-44.87) were more likely to die. Conclusion: Young WLHIV and those with greater social vulnerability have a greater chance of death, and it is essential that health care and treatment strategies consider actions for the prevention of deaths taking into account the multiple vulnerabilities of these women.