Time to first viral load testing among pregnant women living with HIV initiated on option B+ at 5 government clinics in Kampala city, Uganda: Retrospective cohort study

Abstract Background Timely viral load (VL) testing is critical in the care of pregnant women living with HIV and receiving Anti-retroviral therapy (ART). There paucity data regarding Time to First Viral Load (TFVL) resource limited settings. Methods We extracted clinical VL test from records a cohort ART naive who initiated Option B+ were retained between 01 Jan 2015 31 Dec 2015. The verified against laboratory registers. TFVL (in months) was calculated based on time difference date initiation FVL test. Descriptive Cox regression analyses up 30 Sep 2017 (33 months later) done. Results Of 622 retrieved, 424 care. care, 182/424 (43%) had at least one result post while 242/424 (57%) no performed. Only 30/182 (16.5%) second VL. At six, nine, twelve months; only 8/424 (1.9%), 47/424 (11.1%), 94/424 (22.2 %) performed respectively initiation. median 12.7 (95 CI 11.6-13.7) Across five clinics; patient factors (age, gravidity, gestational age, marital status adherence 12 not significant predictors. Conclusion A dismal 1.9% rate achieving WHO recommended testing, observed. non-association these observations may suggest serious need review health system likely associated their effective interventions.