Effectiveness of the standardized strategy for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus in Ecuador

Table 1 Baseline maternal and neonatal characteristics (2017-2023)

Variable	n (%)	Additional details
Maternal age (range: 14-40 years)
Between 20-30 years	249 (77.8)
Other age groups	71 (22.2)	1 teenage pregnancy (14 years)
Timing of HIV diagnosis
Before pregnancy	197 (61.6)	Diagnosis prior to conception
First trimester	98 (30.6)	Early prenatal diagnosis
Late diagnosis (third trimester or intrapartum)	25 (7.8)	Diagnosis during late pregnancy or at delivery
Mode of delivery
Cesarean section	311 (97.2)	Elective or indicated cesarean
Controlled vaginal delivery	3 (0.9)	Optimal maternal conditions
Expulsive/urgent vaginal delivery	6 (1.9)	Late diagnosis or emergent presentation
Maternal ART regimen during pregnancy
RAL + TDF + FTC	152 (47.5)	Predominant regimen before 2022
TDF + 3TC + DTG	105 (32.8)	Standardized regimen since 2022
Other regimens	63 (19.7)	Alternative ART combinations
Maternal viral load at delivery
Undetectable (< 40 copies/mL)	282 (88.1)	According to institutional laboratory thresholds
Blip viral load (41-1000 copies/mL)	31 (9.7)	Transient elevation
> 1000 copies/mL	7 (2.2)	High-risk viral load
Sex of the newborn
Male	158 (49.4)
Female	162 (50.6)

3TC: Lamivudine; ART: Antiretroviral therapy; DTG: Dolutegravir; FTC: Emtricitabine; HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus; RAL: Raltegravir; TDF: Tenofovir.