Source
Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Abstract
Anti-HIV screening has routinely been done at the antenatal clinic in Ramathibodi Hospital since January 1990. The prevalence of positive anti-HIV during the first and second half of 1990, and the first half of 1991 are 0.056, 0.2, 0.24 per cent respectively. Twenty positive cases are now under counselling. Age range is between 18-35 years. Seventeen cases are from rural areas. Twelve of seventeen cases were from the north-eastern part of Thailand. Fifteen cases (71.4%) had their pregnancies terminated. This study shows that the prevalence of positive anti-HIV is increasing. Vertical transmission has already been known to be one of the most important and serious transmissions to newborns and infants. The data indicated that screening test for anti-HIV in pregnant women, previously regarded as a low risk group, should be reviewed and routinely done.
PIP:
In 1990-1991, health workers at the prenatal clinic at Ramathibodi Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, screened 12,067 women in the first trimester of pregnancy for antibodies to HIV. Most of the pregnant women were from middle class areas of Bangkok. 21 of the women tested positive for HIV (0.2%). All HIV-positive women and their husbands underwent counseling. HIV prevalence between January and June 1990 was 0.056% and rose 3-fold by July-December 1990 (0.2%) and 4-fold by January-June 1991 (in reference to 1 year earlier, 0.244%). The highest number of cases/month occurred in December 1990. 85% of the HIV-positive women were 20-30 years old, but the age range was from 18-35 years. 95% were second gravida. 38% were housewives. 81% (17) were from rural areas. 90% were married. 66% of husbands of these HIV-positive women also tested positive for HIV. 71% of the HIV-positive women opted for termination of pregnancy (menstrual regulation in 57% and hypertonic saline solution in 14%). These findings motivated the hospital physicians to recommend obligatory HIV screening of all pregnant women to manage the HIV-positive cases and to prevent HIV from spreading to their offspring.