One-Year Outcomes of Women Started on Antiretroviral Therapy during Pregnancy before and after the Implementation of Option B+ in Malawi: A Retrospective Chart Review from Three Facilities

OBJECTIVE: To compare one-year outcomes of women started on antiretroviral therapy (ART) during pregnancy in the pre-Option B+ era to those in the Option B+ era. METHODS: or WHO 3/4 condition and in the 'Option B+' cohort if they started ART during pregnancy regardless of CD4 count or clinical stage. One-year outcomes were compared using Fisher's exact and ANOVA F-tests. RESULTS: = 0.05). While more women in the Option B+ cohort had poor adherence or defaulted, these differences were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: At our study sites, the transition to Option B+ has been associated with ART initiation in women with less advanced HIV infection, improved medication tolerability, and lower mortality. Further research is needed to better understand outcomes of Option B+.