Recent HIV acquisition and age-disparate relationships predict repeated pregnancies among adolescent mothers in a large South African cohort

Pregnant/breastfeeding adolescent girls and young women are at greater risk of HIV infection, poor retention in care, and higher rates of secondary transmission. Understanding the timing and predictors of rapid repeated pregnancies is critical to ensuring HIV service provision aligns with their HIV prevention and reproductive needs.

The study assesses:

(1) Rates of repeated pregnancies among a cohort of adolescent mothers, including adolescent mothers living with HIV;

(2) Factors associated with repeated pregnancies among adolescent mothers with at least one child;

(3) Sensitivity analyses of factors associated with rapid repeated pregnancies (within 24 months of the first child’s birth).