[The HIV infection in pregnant women in French Guiana].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to analyse the characteristics of HIV pregnant women in French Guiana then to evaluate the HIV mother to child transmission rate (MTCT) and determine the pronostic factors associated with MTCT.


METHODS
An epidemiological study has been led including all deliveries in French Guiana from January 1998 to December 2000. For each case a standardized questionnaire has been gathered including epidemiological, clinical and biological data and an univariate analysis has been realized. A hundred and forty-eight women have been included in the study among 135 women came for delivery.


RESULTS
The factors associated with increased MTCT in our study were no antiretroviral therapy before delivery, the lack of follow-up during pregnancy and no antiretroviral therapy in children. The HIV mother to child transmission rate was 6,5% despite the availability of antiretroviral therapies.


CONCLUSIONS
This rate may be explained by the difficulties of follow-up in HIV infected women. Much more needs to be done to improve access to care for women coming from foreign countries. This may be indispensable to reduce the HIV mother to child transmission rate in French Guiana.
Sobesky
M
M
CISIH Guyane, centre hospitalier Andrée-Rosemon, BP 6006, 97306, Cayenne, Guyane française. sobeskym@nplus.gf <sobeskym@nplus.gf>
Zoccarato
A M
AM
Magnien
C
C
Rocca Serra
P
P
Bissuel
F
F
Karaoui
L
L
Carles
G
G
Delattre
P
P
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005616:French Guiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000821:virology*; D011379:Prognosis
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents