C-Sections for HIV-Positive Women
Although cesarean sections are recommended for preventing perinatal HIV transmission, they are currently not recommended for those women with viral loads less than 400 copies/mL in France and less than 1000 copies/mL in the US. The French Perinatal Cohort study looked at the implications of elective c-sections over the course of a ten year period (2000-2010) and weighed the outcomes in terms of perinatal transmission prevention as well as delivery complications. Overall, the cohort study found that women with low viral loads can safely deliver vaginally.
Citation:
Briand N, Jasseron C, Sibiude J, Azria E, Pollet J, Hammou Y, Warszawski J, Mandelbrot L. Cesarean section for HIV-infected women in the combination antiretroviral therapies era, 2000-2010. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2013 Oct;209(4):335.
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