title: Retention in Care of HIV-Positive Postpartum Females in Kumasi, Ghana.
abstract: Despite the success of prevention of mother-to-child transmission programs, transition to care in the postpartum period is vulnerable to being lost to care.
  
  
  
  The authors performed a 2-year retrospective study of postpartum HIV-infected patients at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. The outcome was classified as optimal follow-up, suboptimal follow-up, and loss to follow-up (LTFU). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify factors associated with optimal retention.
  
  
  
  Follow-up was optimal in 66%, suboptimal in 16%, and LTFU in 18% of patients. The rate of LTFU was 22% among women diagnosed at pregnancy and 13% among those with known HIV diagnosis (P = .078). Adherence counseling (odds ratio [OR] 5.0, confidence interval [CI] 1.6-15.7; P = .006) and family planning (FP; OR 2.3, CI 1.0-5.3; P = .041) were predictive of optimal follow-up.
  
  
  
  At 1 year, only two-thirds of postpartum women remained in care. Investigating barriers to adherence counseling and FP may impact engagement in care among HIV-infected women.
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases, Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University Providence, RI, USA rreece@lifespan.org.
authors: Rebecca
authors: R
authors: Reece
authors: Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors: Betty
authors: B
authors: Norman
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases, Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University Providence, RI, USA.
authors: Awewura
authors: A
authors: Kwara
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases, Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University Providence, RI, USA.
authors: Timothy
authors: T
authors: Flanigan
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases, Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University Providence, RI, USA.
authors: Aadia
authors: A
authors: Rana
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D059012:Lost to Follow-Up; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011181:Postnatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: adherence; linkage to care; postpartum; retention