PLoS ONE (Jan 2019)

Sociodemographic changes and trends in the rates of new perinatal HIV diagnoses and transmission in Spain from 1997 to 2015.

  • Santiago Jiménez de Ory,
  • José Tomas Ramos,
  • Claudia Fortuny,
  • María Isabel González-Tomé,
  • Maria José Mellado,
  • David Moreno,
  • César Gavilán,
  • Ana Isabel Menasalvas,
  • Ana Isabel Piqueras,
  • M Antoinette Frick,
  • Maria Angeles Muñoz-Fernández,
  • Maria Luisa Navarro,
  • CoRISpe Cohort Working Group

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0223536
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 10
p. e0223536

Abstract

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BackgroundThere are not enough nationwide studies on perinatal HIV transmission in connection with a combination of antiretroviral treatments in Spain. Our objectives were to study sociodemographic changes and trends in the rates of HIV diagnoses and perinatal transmission in Spain from 1997 to 2015.MethodsA retrospective study using data from Spanish Paediatric HIV Network (CoRISpe) and Spanish Minimum Basic Data Set (MDBS) was performed. HIV- diagnosed children between 1997 and 2015 were selected. Sociodemographic, clinical and immunovirological data of HIV-infected children and their mothers were studied in four calendar periods (P1: 1997-2000; P2: 2001-2005; P3: 2006-2010; P4: 2011-2015). Rates of perinatal HIV diagnoses and transmission from 1997 to 2015 were calculated.ResultsA total of 532 HIV-infected children were included in this study. Of these children, 406 were Spanish (76.3%) and 126 immigrants (23.7%). A decrease in the number of HIV diagnoses, 203 (38.2%) children in the first (P1), 149 (28%) in the second (P2), 130 (24.4%) in the third (P3) and 50 (9.4%) in the fourth (P4) calendar periods was studied. The same decrease in the Spanish HIV-infected children (P1, 174 (46.6%), P2, 115 (30.8%), P3, 65 (17.4%) and P4, 19 (5.1%)) was monitored. However, an increase in the number of HIV diagnoses by sexual contact (P1: 0%; P2: 1.3%; P3: 4.6%; P4: 16%) was observed. The rates of new perinatal HIV diagnoses and perinatal transmission in Spanish children decreased from 0.167 to 0.005 per 100,000 inhabitants and 11.4% to 0.4% between 1997 and 2015, respectively.ConclusionsA decline of perinatal HIV diagnoses and transmission was observed. However, an increase of teen-agers HIV diagnoses with sexual infection was studied. Public awareness campaigns directed to teen-agers are advisable to prevent HIV infection by sexual contact.