Retrospective study of maternal HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections and child survival in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire

Abstract

Maternal HIV-2 infection has less influence on child survival than infection with HIV-1, probably because of a lower vertical transmission rate.

Concern Regarding the HIV/AIDS epidemic and Individual Childbearing

“…In addition, they find that the fertility of HIV-positive women varies with age: young HIV-positive women do not seem to experience any loss in fertility and the reduction in cumulated fertility becomes more severe as women age. An interesting result of this research points to the primary role of fetal losses through miscarriages, spontaneous abortions and stillbirths resulting from infection with HIV and co-infection with other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), particularly syphilis (Bracher and Santow 2001;Gregson et al 1997;De Cock, Zadi, and Adjorlolo 1994;Langstone et al 1995). Moreover, HIV-infected women typically experience reductions in their sexual drive as well as reductions in fecundability and a possible decrease in the production of spermatozoa or damage to sperm morphology and function in their infected male partners (Gray et al 1998;Crittenden, Handelsman, and Stewart 1992;Krieger et al 1991;Gresenguet, Belec, Herve, Massanga, and Martin 1992).…”

Baseline characteristics, response to and outcome of antiretroviral therapy among patients with HIV-1, HIV-2 and dual infection in Burkina Faso

“…The finding that the proportion of children among those with HIV-2 was smaller than for HIV-1 corroborates the finding of previous studies that rates of vertical transmission of HIV-2 are much lower than for HIV-1 (20-30 times lower in some studies). [24][25][26][27][28] Third, just over 1 in 6 HIV-2 patients assessed as being in WHO stage 3 or 4 at presentation had CD4 counts >350 cells/l. This is slightly higher than one might expect, and may reflect a problem with the quality of staging, which could be improved by training.…”

HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa not explained by sexual or vertical transmission

“…A study in Burkina Faso in 1989± 90 found 23% (11 of 48) of HIV-positive children to have HIV-negative mothers; six of 11 had been transfused, and the others reported multiple injections 56 . In a 1994 report from Co à te d'Ivoire, De Cock and colleagues report that 21% (three of 14) of children with HIV-1 had mothers without HIV-1, and one of two with HIV-2 had a mother without HIV-2 57 . Tests of stored sera from 1994 in Ethiopia found three HIV-positive children less than ® ve years old, of which one had an HIVnegative mother; HIV status for the other mothers was not known 58 .…”