Live birth patterns among human immunodeficiency virus-infected women before and after the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and childbearing before and after the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

METHODS

Enrollment in the Women's Interagency HIV study took place in 1994-1995 (pre-HAART era) and again in 2001-2002 (HAART era). Live birth rates prior to enrollment were compared between treatment era cohorts for HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women aged 15-44 years using Poisson regression. For HIV-infected women, we included live births between HIV diagnosis date and study entry; the HAART era cohort included only women diagnosed with HIV in 1996 and afterward.

RESULTS

Among HIV-infected women, the HAART era live birth rate was 150% higher than in the pre-HAART era (P = .001) vs a 5% increase among HIV-uninfected women. The rate of increase in live birth rate was higher for women > or = 35 years old (vs younger than 25 years, P = .02), and with more than a high school education (vs. less than high school, P = .05).

CONCLUSION

The availability of effective therapeutic interventions has had a profound impact on child-bearing among HIV-infected women.