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Outpatient follow-up in women with HIV infection in Parkside Health Authority (UK).
  1. P J Horner,
  2. M McBride,
  3. R J Coker,
  4. S Crowley,
  5. J R Harris,
  6. S M Murphy,
  7. J N Weber,
  8. A M Renton
  1. Department of Genitourinary Medicine and Communicable Diseases, St Mary's Hospital, London, UK.

    Abstract

    OBJECTIVE--To describe patterns of attendance for follow-up among HIV infected women in Parkside, UK and their correlates. DESIGN--Retrospective cohort study. SUBJECTS--103 HIV infected women. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--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.

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