Retention in Care of HIV-Positive Postpartum Females in Kumasi, Ghana

Abstract

Background: Despite the success of prevention of mother-to-child transmission programs, transition to care in the postpartum period is vulnerable to being lost to care. Methods: The authors performed a 2-year retrospective study of postpartum HIV-infected patients at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. The outcome was classified as optimal follow-up, suboptimal follow-up, and loss to follow-up (LTFU). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify factors associated with optimal retention. Results: Follow-up was optimal in 66%, suboptimal in 16%, and LTFU in 18% of patients. The rate of LTFU was 22% among women diagnosed at pregnancy and 13% among those with known HIV diagnosis (P =.078). Adherence counseling (odds ratio [OR] 5.0, confidence interval [CI] 1.6-15.7; P =.006) and family planning (FP; OR 2.3, CI 1.0-5.3; P =.041) were predictive of optimal follow-up. Conclusion: At 1 year, only two-thirds of postpartum women remained in care. Investigating barriers to adherence counseling and FP may impact engagement in care among HIV-infected women.