Abstract:
Objectives:
To determine the prevalence of preterm deliveries amongst HIV-positive women, to
describe the demographic characteristics of HIV-positive women delivering preterm
babies and to determine the possible risk factors that may be associated with preterm
delivery amongst HIV-positive women delivering in Mankweng hospital.
Materials and Methods:
A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Mankweng hospital labour
ward and neonatal unit over twelve months, from January 2019 to December 2019.
The maternity register was used to identify patients’ medical records which were then
retrieved and used for the study.
Results: The prevalence of preterm delivery amongst HIV-positive women was found
to be 34.1%. This was very high compared to the global prevalence. Maternal age was
not associated with preterm delivery. Factors that were found to be significantly
associated with preterm delivery in our setting are hypertension, fibroid uterus, urinary
tract infection and chorioamnionitis.
Conclusion: The prevalence of preterm delivery in our setting is very high. The risk
factors that contribute to preterm delivery among HIV-positive women are like that of
the general population. Further studies need to be done to determine if these factors
are increased among HIV-positive women.
