Factors Related to Pregnancy among Female Sex Workers Living with HIV in the Dominican Republic

Female sex workers (FSWs) living with HIV are a vulnerable population for multiple health concerns and have been vastly understudied in public health literature. This study analyzes factors related to pregnancy among 268 FSWs living with HIV in the Dominican Republic. 

Results indicate that 

• 34% of participants had been pregnant since HIV diagnosis. 

Multivariate analysis revealed significant associations between 

• pregnancy after HIV diagnosis and ART interruption, 
• knowledge of mother-to-child transmission, 
• serostatus disclosure to a sex partner, 
• older age 
• and a more negative perception of their health provider. 

Results indicate noteworthy associations between having been pregnant and the health provider experience and ART interruption, indicating a significant need for further research on this population to ensure both maternal and child health.

Purchase full article at:   http://goo.gl/c9TS6h

By:  Cernigliaro D¹, Barrington C², Perez M³, Donastorg Y³, Kerrigan D⁴.

¹Department of Health, Behavior and Society, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, HH287, 624 N. Broadway St., Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. danacern@gmail.com.

²The Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

³HIV Vaccine Research Unit, Instituto Dermatalógico y Cirugia de Piel Dr. Humberto Bogart Diaz, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

⁴Department of Health, Behavior and Society, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, HH287, 624 N. Broadway St., Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.

AIDS Behav. 2016 May 4. [Epub ahead of print]

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