Viral suppression among pregnant adolescents and women living with HIV in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: a cross sectional study to assess progress towards UNAIDS indicators and Implications for HIV Epidemic Control.
Nonzwakazi P NtombelaAyesha B M KharsanyAdenike SoogunNonhlanhla Yende-ZumaCheryl BaxterHans-Peter KohlerLyle R McKinnonPublished in: Reproductive health (2022)
The proportion of HIV positive pregnant women achieving viral suppression was encouraging though far short of the target towards achieving epidemic control. Importantly, adolescent pregnant women were less likely to know their HIV status and to achieve viral suppression, underscoring the public health implications of sustained risk of HIV transmission. Thus, greater effort and strong social support are essential to improve HIV knowledge of status and care continuum towards the goal to achieving HIV epidemic control. To "fast-track" the response to achieve HIV epidemic control and end the AIDS epidemic, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) set ambitious HIV testing and treatment targets for people living with HIV. Meeting these targets through scaling up testing for HIV, initiating and sustaining antiretroviral therapy (ART) to maintain viral suppression provides both therapeutic and preventive benefits with the potential to reduce HIV transmission. Viral suppression among pregnant adolescents and women living with HIV is crucial for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV including onward transmission to sexual partners. As a public health approach, in South Africa all pregnant women are offered routine HIV testing and immediate initiation of lifelong ART irrespective of CD4 cell count. It is, therefore, important to ascertain progress towards reaching the targets. The proportion of HIV positive pregnant adolescents and women achieving viral suppression was encouraging though far short of the target towards achieving epidemic control. Importantly, pregnant adolescents were less likely to know their HIV status and to achieve viral suppression, underscoring the public health implications of sustained risk of HIV transmission. Thus, greater effort and strong social support are essential to improve HIV knowledge of status and care continuum towards the goal to achieving HIV epidemic control.
Keyphrases
- hiv positive
- antiretroviral therapy
- hiv testing
- men who have sex with men
- south africa
- hiv aids
- hiv infected
- human immunodeficiency virus
- hiv infected patients
- pregnant women
- public health
- social support
- sars cov
- healthcare
- young adults
- adipose tissue
- type diabetes
- clinical trial
- depressive symptoms
- risk factors
- clinical practice
- metabolic syndrome
- chronic pain
- climate change
- single cell
- cell therapy
- palliative care
- pain management
- bone marrow
- risk assessment