Live birth patterns among human immunodeficiency virus-infected women before and after the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and childbearing before and after the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Methods: Enrollment in the Women's Interagency HIV study took place in 1994-1995 (pre-HAART era) and again in 2001-2002 (HAART era). Live birth rates prior to enrollment were compared between treatment era cohorts for HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women aged 15-44 years using Poisson regression. For HIV-infected women, we included live births between HIV diagnosis date and study entry; the HAART era cohort included only women diagnosed with HIV in 1996 and afterward. Results: Among HIV-infected women, the HAART era live birth rate was 150% higher than in the pre-HAART era (P = .001) vs a 5% increase among HIV-uninfected women. The rate of increase in live birth rate was higher for women ≥35 years old (vs younger than 25 years, P = .02), and with more than a high school education (vs. less than high school, P = .05). Conclusion: The availability of effective therapeutic interventions has had a profound impact on child-bearing among HIV-infected women.