Survival time after AIDS in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the suggestion, based on theoretical considerations and case reports, that pregnancy decreases survival time after AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).

DESIGN

A total population study in Edinburgh.

SETTING

A city with a moderately high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in women.

SUBJECTS: AIDS has been diagnosed in 22 women, five of whom had a pregnancy.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical characteristics, disease presentation, lymphocyte markers, pregnancy outcome, subsequent progress and survival time.

RESULTS

Pregnancy was not obviously associated with a difference in clinical findings. The mean survival time for the three women with a pregnancy who died was 24 months and for the 11 women without a pregnancy it was 15 months. (P = 0.63 log rank test).

CONCLUSIONS

The clinical presentation, severity of the illness and laboratory findings were not obviously different in pregnancy. All three women who had Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia for the first time in pregnancy survived this initial episode. Survival time was not obviously reduced by the conjunction of pregnancy with AIDS.