Among women smokers, having HIV amplifies the existing high risk of pregnancy loss through miscarriage or stillbirth, aidsmap reports.

Publishing their findings in the journal AIDS, researchers from the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) followed 659 women who had 1,033 pregnancies over a 20-year period. A total of 396 of these women were living with HIV; they had 592 pregnancies.

The women lost about a third of the pregnancies, through 314 miscarriages and 12 stillbirths.

HIV-positive and HIV-negative women had similar overall rates of pregnancy loss, a respective 33 percent and 30 percent. Among nonsmokers, the respective pregnancy loss rates were also similar: 22 percent and 25 percent. Among smokers, the respective pregnancy loss rates were starkly different: 52 percent and 33 percent.

After adjusting the data for various factors, the researchers found that smoking increased the risk of pregnancy loss by 31 percent among HIV-negative women and by 74 percent among HIV-positive women.

To read the aidsmap article, click here.

To read the study abstract, click here.