Pregnancy incidence and intention after HIV diagnosis among women living with HIV in Canada

• Published in: PloS one 2017-07, Vol.12 (7), p.e0180524-e0180524
• Main Authors: Salters, Kate, Loutfy, Mona, de Pokomandy, Alexandra, Money, Deborah, Pick, Neora, Wang, Lu, Jabbari, Shahab, Carter, Allison, Webster, Kath, Conway, Tracey, Dubuc, Daniele, O'Brien, Nadia, Proulx-Boucher, Karene, Kaida, Angela
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adult; AIDS; Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use; Antiretroviral agents; Antiretroviral drugs; Antiretroviral therapy; Biology and Life Sciences; Canada; Care and treatment; Complications and side effects; Data processing; Diagnosis; Family Planning Services; Female; Health aspects; Health care; HIV; HIV infections; HIV patients; HIV Seropositivity - diagnosis; HIV Seropositivity - drug therapy; HIV Seropositivity - epidemiology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Incidence; Intention; Life expectancy; Life span; Medical diagnosis; Medical examination; Medicine and Health Sciences; Motivation; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Rate; Pregnancy, Unplanned; Pregnant women; Regression analysis; Regression models; Reproduction; Reproductive health; Reproductive systems; Sexual Behavior; Women's Health; Womens health; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180524

Pregnancy incidence rates among women living with HIV (WLWH) have increased over time due to longer life expectancy, improved health status, and improved access to and HIV prevention benefits of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). However, it is unclear whether intended or unintended pregnancies are contributing to observed increases. We analyzed retrospective data from the Canadian HIV Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study (CHIWOS). Kaplan-Meier methods and GEE Poisson models were used to measure cumulative incidence and incidence rate of pregnancy after HIV diagnosis overall, and by pregnancy intention. We used multivariable logistic regression models to examine independent correlates of unintended pregnancy among the most recent/current pregnancy. Of 1,165 WLWH included in this analysis, 278 (23.9%) women reported 492 pregnancies after HIV diagnosis, 60.8% of which were unintended. Unintended pregnancy incidence (24.6 per 1,000 Women-Years (WYs); 95% CI: 21.0, 28.7) was higher than intended pregnancy incidence (16.6 per 1,000 WYs; 95% CI: 13.8, 20.1) (Rate Ratio: 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2-1.8). Pregnancy incidence among WLWH who initiated cART before or during pregnancy (29.1 per 1000 WYs with 95% CI: 25.1, 33.8) was higher than among WLWH not on cART during pregnancy (11.9 per 1000 WYs; 95% CI: 9.5, 14.9) (Rate Ratio: 2.4, 95% CI: 2.0-3.0). Women with current or recent unintended pregnancy (vs. intended pregnancy) had higher adjusted odds of being single (AOR: 1.94; 95% CI: 1.10, 3.42), younger at time of conception (AOR: 0.95 per year increase, 95% CI: 0.90, 0.99), and being born in Canada (AOR: 2.76, 95% CI: 1.55, 4.92). Nearly one-quarter of women reported pregnancy after HIV diagnosis, with 61% of all pregnancies reported as unintended. Integrated HIV and reproductive health care programming is required to better support WLWH to optimize pregnancy planning and outcomes and to prevent unintended pregnancy.