Prevention of vertical transmission of HIV in international migrant women: Current scenario and challenges

Abstract

Preventing vertical transmission of HIV is a challenge for all countries worldwide. The permanent construction of global societies with a variable degree of international migrant population has made it more complex. Health policies, programs, and actions for preventing vertical transmission of HIV in pregnant migrants demand an intercultural perspective, where social, cultural, and gender dimensions associated with the infection are addressed. Understanding the local reality regarding the prevention of vertical transmission in the international migrant population in Chile is essential to carry out concrete actions that favor the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. This article presents some essential concepts related to this topic. It also presents international and national information on risks of vertical transmission in pregnant migrants, the importance of the national plan for preventing vertical transmission of HIV in our country, and some ongoing efforts to adapt such plan to the reality of social and cultural diversity that pregnant migrants currently present in Chile, as a useful public health instrument with an intercultural perspective