Epidemiology of HIV in pregnant women and its relationship with the period of the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVE: To analyze, in the light of the Social Ecological Theory, the progression of reported cases of HIV during pregnancy in a Brazilian state and their relationship with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: Retrospective study, with a sample consisting of all reports of gestational HIV in the state of Ceará - Brazil from 2017 to 2021, on the IntegraSUS platform. Data collection was carried out in January 2022. The analyzed variables were organized according to the theoretical levels: macrosystem, exosystem, mesosystem, and microsystem. RESULTS: A total of 1,173 cases of HIV in pregnant women were recorded. When comparing the pre- and post-pandemic period, a reduction in the disease detection rate (from 231 to 122.67 pregnant women) was observed, as well as 1.82 times more chances of women not using antiretrovirals during childbirth after the start of the pandemic. There was a 55% reduction in vaginal births and 39% in cesarean sections among women diagnosed with HIV after the start of the pandemic. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic had an epidemiological and care impact, leading to a reduction in the number of notifications and in the detection rate of pregnant women living with HIV in the state of Ceará. Therefore, the need to ensure health care coverage is emphasized, with early diagnosis actions, guaranteed treatment, and quality prenatal care.