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Human immunodeficiency virus disease in pregnancy
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA.
Journal of the Association for Academic Minority Physicians : the Official Publication of the Association for Academic Minority Physicians
|January 1, 1995
Summary
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disproportionately affects women, particularly through heterosexual contact. Effective management and prevention strategies are crucial for women's reproductive health and reducing AIDS mortality.
Area of Science:
- Women's Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Heterosexual women represent a rapidly growing demographic of new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnoses.
- Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a leading cause of death for minority women in urban settings, highlighting an urgent need for effective management protocols.
- Current management strategies, including antepartum and intrapartum zidovudine (AZT) for minimizing perinatal transmission, show promise but require further delineation of optimal care throughout the reproductive continuum.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the epidemiology, virology, pathology, and management of HIV infection in women, with a focus on pregnancy.
- To provide healthcare practitioners with essential information and tools for identifying, assessing, and managing HIV-infected women.
- To address critical issues in HIV prevention, testing, and care for women of reproductive age and during the interconceptional period.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of HIV epidemiology, virology, and pathology in women.
- Analysis of current management protocols for HIV-positive women, including those during pregnancy and the interconceptional period.
- Examination of prevention strategies and counseling guidelines for women at risk of or living with HIV.
Main Results:
- HIV infection rates are escalating among heterosexual women, necessitating focused public health interventions.
- Zidovudine (AZT) administration during pregnancy has demonstrated success in reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission.
- Controversies persist regarding mandatory HIV testing for women of reproductive age and management during the interconceptional period.
Conclusions:
- Addressing HIV across the continuum of women's reproductive health is a critical priority for all healthcare providers.
- Obstetricians, gynecologists, nurse practitioners, and midwives play a pivotal role in HIV risk counseling, informed decision-making, and management of HIV-positive women.
- Enhanced practitioner knowledge and tools are essential for optimizing the health outcomes of women affected by HIV.