Predictive factors of antiretroviral treatment <4 weeks among HIV-infected pregnant women in Cayenne, French Guiana

French Guiana is the French territory where the HIV epidemic is most preoccupying. In Cayenne, the mother to child HIV transmission rate was 6% in 2006-2008. Despite free testing and treatment, HIV pregnant women often have delayed or insufficient access to care. The aim of this study was to identify predictive factors of antiretroviral treatment <4 weeks in HIV pregnant women in Cayenne (French Guiana) and then to describe their attitudes, practices, and beliefs regarding HIV/AIDS. A case control study was conducted including all deliveries in Cayenne from 2003 to 2010. For each case, a standardized questionnaire including epidemiological, clinical, and biological data was administered. The analysis first described the summary statistics and then bivariate analysis studied the relation of each variable with the outcome. Multivariate analysis adjusted for the confounding factors. Thirty-three women in the first group and 96 in the control group were included in the study. Women born in French Guiana (OR = 5, IC95% = 1.22-20.86, p = 0.027) had a high risk of treatment <4 weeks. The other factors associated with treatment <4 weeks in our study were benefiting from food parcels (OR = 12.72, IC95% = 2.07-78.14, p = 0.006), consulting a traditional healer when sick (OR = 9.86, IC95% = 2.57-37.88, p = <0.001), and drug use (OR = 6.27, IC95% = 1.26-31.13, p = 0.025). These predictive factors should be considered in prevention programs against mother to child transmission of HIV.