Outpatient follow-up in women with HIV infection in Parkside Health Authority (UK).
OBJECTIVE
To describe patterns of attendance for follow-up among HIV infected women in Parkside, UK and their correlates.


METHODS
Retrospective cohort study.


METHODS
103 HIV infected women.


METHODS
Whether patients attended for follow-up between three and 18 months.


RESULTS
31% of women were married and 46% had children. Women born in sub-Saharan Africa were significantly less likely to attend for follow-up after three months (56%) than women born in other areas who had acquired HIV either heterosexually (82%) or through injecting drug use (81%). This pattern persisted on multivariate analysis controlling for whether women were symptomatic, had had a previous positive test, were married or had children.


CONCLUSIONS
HIV positive sub-Saharan African women are less likely to reattend for follow-up than women with heterosexually acquired HIV from other areas or those who acquired infection through intravenous drug use. Further studies are needed to identify barriers to follow-up for women and to shape the development of more appropriate and accessible services for HIV infected women, especially those of sub-Saharan African origin.
Horner
P J
PJ
Department of Genitourinary Medicine and Communicable Diseases, St Mary's Hospital, London, UK.
McBride
M
M
Coker
R J
RJ
Crowley
S
S
Harris
J R
JR
Murphy
S M
SM
Weber
J N
JN
Renton
A M
AM
D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000628:therapy*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012189:Retrospective Studies