Search

Objectives Few studies have addressed optimal follow-up for HIV-infected women after cervical treatment. This study aimed to compare performance of three available tests to detect posttreatment cervical disease in HIV-infected women in Kenya. Design This is a prospective cohort study. Methods At least 6 months following cryotherapy, 517 HIV-infected women were evaluated concurrently with visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), papanicolaou (Pap) smear, and high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) testing. Women positive by any test (≥low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion for Pap) were scheduled for colposcopy and biopsy. Among 248 with histological confirmation [and 174 assumed to be truly negative for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)2+ after testing negative by all three tests], the ability of each test alone, or in combination, to detect CIN2+ was calculated to determine their utility in posttreatment follow-up. Results The median age of women was 35 years, 68% were WHO stage 1-2, with a median CD4 cell count of 410 cells/μl, and 87% were on combination antiretroviral therapy. At a median of 6.3 months posttreatment, 64% had an abnormal screen by VIA, Pap, and/or HR-HPV. Among women with histological confirmation, 72 (30%) had persistent/recurrent CIN2+. As single tests, Pap correctly classified the most cases (83%) and had the highest specificity [91% (88 and 95%); sensitivity 44% (35 and 53%)], whereas HR-HPV had the highest sensitivity [85% (75 and 96%); specificity 54% (49 and 58%)]. VIA was not sensitive [27% (18 and 36%)] for the detection of posttreatment CIN2+ [specificity 82% (79 and 86%)]. Conclusion With the goal to minimize the number of false negatives (e.g. not miss CIN2+ posttreatment) in this population that is high-risk due to both prior cervical disease and HIV infection, HR-HPV-based algorithms are recommended.

Background Many HIV-infected pregnant women identified during antenatal care (ANC) do not enroll in long-term HIV care, resulting in deterioration of maternal health and continued risk of HIV transmission to infants. Methods We performed a cluster randomized trial to evaluate the effect of integrating HIV care into ANC clinics in rural Kenya. Twelve facilities were randomized to provide either integrated services (ANC, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and HIV care delivered in the ANC clinic; n = 6 intervention facilities) or standard ANC services (including prevention of mother-to-child transmission and referral to a separate clinic for HIV care; n = 6 control facilities). Results There were high patient attrition rates over the course of this study. Among study participants who enrolled in HIV care, there was 12-month follow-up data for 256 of 611 (41.8%) women and postpartum data for only 325 of 1172 (28%) women. By 9 months of age, 382 of 568 (67.3%) infants at intervention sites and 338 of 594 (57.0%) at control sites had tested for HIV [odds ratio (OR) 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.71 to 2.82]; 7.3% of infants tested HIV positive at intervention sites compared with 8.0% of infants at control sites (OR 0.89, 95% CI: 0.56 to 1.43). The composite clinical/immunologic progression into AIDS was similar in both arms (4.9% vs. 5.1%, OR 0.83, 95% CI: 0.41 to 1.68). Conclusions Despite the provision of integrated services, patient attrition was substantial in both arms, suggesting barriers beyond lack of service integration. Integration of HIV services into the ANC clinic was not associated with a reduced risk of HIV transmission to infants and did not appear to affect short-term maternal health outcomes.

Background Early diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is crucial to prevent short term delivery risks and long term effects such as cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in the mother and infant. Diagnosing GDM in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) however, remains sub-optimal due to associated logistical and cost barriers for resource-constrained populations. A cost-effective strategy to screen for GDM in such settings are therefore urgently required. We conducted this study to determine the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and assess utility of various GDM point of care (POC) screening strategies in a resource-constrained setting. Methods Eligible women aged ≥18 years, and between 24 and 32 weeks of a singleton pregnancy, prospectively underwent testing over two days. On day 1, a POC 1-h 50 g glucose challenge test (GCT) and a POC glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was assessed. On day 2, fasting blood glucose, 1-h and 2-h 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were determined using both venous and POC tests, along with a venous HbA1c. The International Association of Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group (IADPSG) criteria was used to diagnose GDM. GDM prevalence was reported with 95% confidence interval (CI). Specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the various POC testing strategies were determined using IADPSG testing as the standard reference. Results Six hundred-sixteen eligible women completed testing procedures. GDM was diagnosed in 18 women, a prevalence of 2.9% (95% CI, 1.57% - 4.23%). Compared to IADPSG testing, POC IADPSG had a sensitivity and specificity of 55.6% and 90.6% respectively while that of POC 1-h 50 g GCT (using a diagnostic cut-off of ≥7.2 mmol/L [129.6 mg/dL]) was 55.6% and 63.9%. All other POC tests assessed showed poor sensitivity. Conclusions POC screening strategies though feasible, showed poor sensitivity for GDM detection in our resource-constrained population of low GDM prevalence. Studies to identify sensitive and specific POC GDM screening strategies using adverse pregnancy outcomes as end points are required. Trials registration Clinical trials.gov : NCT02978807 , Registered 29 November 2016.

Objective To describe the uptake of and factors associated with HIV prevalence among pregnant women in a large-scale home-based HIV counseling and testing (HBCT) program in western Kenya. Methods In 2007, the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare Program (AMPATH) initiated HBCT to all individuals aged ≥13 years and high-risk children

Objective To describe the challenges and successes of integrating a public-sector cervical screening program into a large HIV care system in western Kenya. Methods The present study was a programmatic description and a retrospective chart review of data collected from a cervical screening program based on visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) between June 2009 and October 2011. Results In total, 6787 women were screened: 1331 (19.6%) were VIA-positive, of whom 949 (71.3%) had HIV. Overall, 206 women underwent cryotherapy, 754 colposcopy, 143 loop electrical excision procedure (LEEP), and 27 hysterectomy. Among the colposcopy-guided biopsies, 27.9% had severe dysplasia and 10.9% had invasive cancer. There were 68 cases of cancer, equating to approximately 414 per 100 000 women per year. Despite aggressive strategies, the overall loss to follow-up was 31.5%: 27.9% were lost after a positive VIA screen, 49.3% between biopsy and LEEP, and 59.6% between biopsy and hysterectomy/chemotherapy. Conclusion The established infrastructure of an HIV treatment program was successfully used to build capacity for cervical screening in a low-resource setting. By using task-shifting and evidence-based, low-cost approaches, population-based cervical screening in a rural African clinical network was found to feasible; however, loss to follow-up and poor pathology infrastructure remain important obstacles.

Background Despite strong evidence for the effectiveness of anti-retroviral therapy for improving the health of women living with HIV and for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), HIV persists as a major maternal and child health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. In most settings antenatal care (ANC) services and HIV treatment services are offered in separate clinics. Integrating these services may result in better uptake of services, reduction of the time to treatment initiation, better adherence, and reduction of stigma. Methodology/Principal Findings A prospective cluster randomized controlled trial design was used to evaluate the effects of integrating HIV treatment into ANC clinics at government health facilities in rural Kenya. Twelve facilities were randomized to provide either fully integrated services (ANC, PMTCT, and HIV treatment services all delivered in the ANC clinic) or non-integrated services (ANC clinics provided ANC and basic PMTCT services and referred clients to a separate HIV clinic for HIV treatment). During June 2009– March 2011, 1,172 HIV-positive pregnant women were enrolled in the study. The main study outcomes are rates of maternal enrollment in HIV care and treatment, infant HIV testing uptake, and HIV-free infant survival. Baseline results revealed that the intervention and control cohorts were similar with respect to socio-demographics, male partner HIV testing, sero-discordance of the couple, obstetric history, baseline CD4 count, and WHO Stage. Challenges faced while conducting this trial at low-resource rural health facilities included frequent staff turnover, stock-outs of essential supplies, transportation challenges, and changes in national guidelines. Conclusions/Significance This is the first randomized trial of ANC and HIV service integration to be conducted in rural Africa. It is expected that the study will provide critical evidence regarding the implementation and effectiveness of this service delivery strategy, with important implications for programs striving to eliminate vertical transmission of HIV and improve maternal health. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00931216 NCT00931216.

BACKGROUND: The provision of food supplementation to food-insecure patients initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) may improve adherence to medications. METHODS: A home-based adherence support program at 8 government clinics assessed patients for food insecurity. Four clinics provided food supplementation and 4 acted as controls. The analysis compared adherence (assessed by medication possession ratio) CD4 and weight gain outcomes among food-insecure patients enrolled at the food clinics with those enrolled at the control clinics. RESULTS: Between May 1 2004 and March 31 2005 636 food- insecure adults were enrolled. Food supplementation was associated with better adherence to therapy. Two hundred fifty-eight of 366 (70%) patients in the food group achieved a medication possession ratio of 95% or greater versus 79 of 166 (48%) among controls (relative risk = 1.5; 95% confidence interval: 1.2 to 1.8). This finding was unchanged after adjustment for sex age baseline CD4 count baseline World Health Organization stage and baseline hemoglobin. We did not observe a significant effect of food supplementation on weight gain or CD4 cell response. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis suggests that providing food to food-insecure patients initiating ART is feasible and may improve adherence to medication. A large randomized study of the clinical benefits of food supplementation to ART patients is urgently needed to inform international policy.

MAY EXPLAIN DISPARITIES IN CESAREAN DELIVERY RISK SIERRA WASHINGTON, ALLISON BRYANT, YVONNE CHENG, ANJALI KAIMAL, AARON CAUGHEY, University of California, San Francisco, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, San Francisco, California OBJECTIVE: Racial and ethnic minorities have a higher risk of cesarean delivery (CD). We sought to examine possible medical indications for this higher risk. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 15,366 nulliparous women delivering at one institution between 1980 and 2001. Black, White,AsianandLatinawomendelivering singletongestations at greater than24 weeks were included. Univariate andmultivariate analyses were used to evaluate the ethnic variation in risks of and indications for CD.We adjusted for insurance type, maternal age, smoking status, gestational age, birth weight, diabetes, hypertensive disorders,meconium stained amniotic fluid, and induction of labor. RESULTS: The overall rate of CD in our population was 20.6%. The adjusted odds for CD were 1.4 (p!0.001) and 1.3 (p!0.001) times greater for Black and Latina women, respectively, compared to White women. After adjustment, Black women had nearly twice the odds of having a CD for fetal distress. The adjusted odds ratios (AOR) for CD indications, stratified by race/ ethnicity, are presented in the Table. CONCLUSION: The climbing rate of CD is an important public health problem that differentially affects minority women. Black and Latina patients are more likely than other women to have a CD even after adjusting for chronic diseases, complications of pregnancy, and sociodemographic factors. After adjusting for such factors, Black women are more likely to have CD for fetal distress. These findings suggest that physician bias or racially/ethnically specific biologic factors may influence the rates of CD. These disparities in CD rates need to be addressed.