Linkage to care, mobility and retention of HIV-positive postpartum women in antiretroviral therapy services in South Africa.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Linkage to care and mobility postpartum present challenges to long-term retention after initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) in pregnancy, but there are few insights from sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to describe postpartum linkage to care, mobility, retention and viral suppression after ART initiation in pregnancy.

Methods

Using routine electronic data we assessed HIV-specific health contacts and clinic movements among women initiating ART in an integrated antenatal care (ANC) and ART clinic in Cape Town, South Africa. The local care model includes mandatory transfer to general ART clinics postpartum. We investigated linkage to care after leaving the integrated clinic and mobility to new clinics until 30 months on ART. We used Poisson regression to explore pr

SUBMITTER: Phillips TK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6053482 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature