Barriers to utilization of anti-retroviral therapy among HIV positive pregnant women in Birnin Kebbi, North West Nigeria

by Jia H. et al.

This study investigates barriers to the utilization of antiretroviral therapy among HIV-positive pregnant women in Birnin Kebbi, North West Nigeria. This study concludes that interventions focusing on community education to reduce stigma, correcting misconceptions about therapy safety, improving healthcare infrastructure, and integrating antiretroviral therapy into antenatal care could substantially increase utilization, reduce transmission, and improve maternal and child health outcomes in Nigeria.

9th July 2025 • comment

Association of maternal antiretroviral use with microcephaly in children who are HIV-exposed but uninfected (SMARTT): a prospective cohort study

by Williams et al

The authors evaluated children aged younger than 18 years who were HIV-exposed but uninfected with at least one head circumference measurement while enrolled in the Surveillance Monitoring for ART Toxicities (SMARTT) study at 22 clinical sites in the USA, including Puerto Rico. These findings support consideration of alternatives to efavirenz as part of first-line antiretroviral therapy for pregnant women.

9th December 2019 • comment