A new publication authored by RID Program team members Winnie Fu, Dr. Elisabeth McClymont, Dr. Andrea Atkinson, Arezou Azampanah, Dr. Chelsea Elwood, Dr. Julie van Schalkwyk, and Dr. Deborah Money as well as other collaborators has been published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (JAIDS). This publication, entitled “Retrospective Cohort Study on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pregnancy Outcomes for Women Living With HIV in British Columbia” focused on understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the pregnancy outcomes of women living with HIV in BC using data from the Perinatal HIV Surveillance Program. The study found that the COVID-19 pandemic affected pregnant women living with HIV and their infants in BC, including higher rates of preterm birth and higher gestational age at first antenatal encounter during the pandemic. There were 2 cases of perinatal transmission of HIV during the pandemic, compared to none in the 3 years preceding the pandemic. Future pandemic-time guidelines should enhance engagement with communities that have existing social-structural barriers to health. For more information on this study and its findings, please click here to access the publication!
