title: Representation of women and pregnant women in HIV research: a limited systematic review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  HIV-related outcomes may be affected by biological sex and by pregnancy. Including women in general and pregnant women in particular in HIV-related research is important for generalizability of findings.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To characterize representation of pregnant and non-pregnant women in HIV-related research conducted in general populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  All HIV-related articles published in fifteen journals from January to March of 2011. We selected the top five journals by 2010 impact factor, in internal medicine, infectious diseases, and HIV/AIDS.
  
  
  METHODS
  HIV-related studies reporting original research on questions applicable to both men and women of reproductive age were considered; studies were excluded if they did not include individual-level patient data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Articles were doubly reviewed and abstracted; discrepancies were resolved through consensus. We recorded proportion of female study participants, whether pregnant women were included or excluded, and other key factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 2014 articles were published during this period. After screening, 259 articles were included as original HIV-related research reporting individual-level data; of these, 226 were determined to be articles relevant to both men and women of reproductive age. In these articles, women were adequately represented within geographic region. The vast majority of published articles, 183/226 (81%), did not mention pregnancy (or related issues); still fewer included pregnant women (n=33), reported numbers of pregnant women (n=19), or analyzed using pregnancy status (n=9).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data were missing for some key variables, including pregnancy. The time period over which published works were evaluated was relatively short.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The under-reporting and inattention to pregnancy in the HIV literature may reduce policy-makers' ability to set evidence-based policy around HIV/AIDS care for pregnant women and women of child-bearing age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. djw@unc.edu
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Westreich
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: Sheree
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Geeta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Swamy
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections; D006801:Humans; D055811:Journal Impact Factor; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People; D012737:Sex Factors