ABSTRACT
The increasing numbers of women infected by HIV resulted in the risk of a vertical transmission of the virus, and prevention has been conducted by means of prophylaxis and antiretroviral (ARV) interventions. Although medication in Brazil has been available since 1996, only 69% of HIV positive pregnant women used ARV methods properly during pre-natal care. Objective: to describe the socio-demographic and reproductive health profile of women who had more than one HIV positive pregnancy and identify the use of antiretroviral during pre-natal care and childbirth. Methods: we accessed 2.106 registers of HIV pregnant women at the SINAN, residing in São Paulo, from January 2007 to March 2011, and we selected 284 notifications of women with more than one pregnancy. Dependent variable: use of ARV; independent variables: age, race/color, education, occupation, pre-natal care, type of delivery, use of ARV in childbirth, pregnancy outcome, use of ARV prophylaxis in children. We conducted a Pearson Chi-square test, considering a confidence interval (CI) p < 0.05. Results: of the 284 pregnant women, 254 were HIV positive in their second childbirth and 30 in their third. The women were predominantly young, white, had a high school degree, and were housewives and workers in industries and services. 84.9% of them had pre-natal care, and of these, 82.6% used ARV during their term. During childbirth 77.3% received intravenous AZT. Over the course of the first 24 hours after birth, 91.5% of the infants received prophylaxis treatment. There was a significant statistical relation between the use of ARV during pre-natal care. Conclusion: the study revealed that, although these women were HIV positive in their second or third pregnancy, there is a lower percentage of HAART use than what is shown in present publications.
