Abandonment of infants by HIV-positive women in Russia and prevention measures.

Since 1990, Russia has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of abandoned children, associated with harsh socio-economic conditions, increases in drug and alcohol addiction and HIV infection. Approximately 20% of infants born to HIV-positive mothers are abandoned in Russia. To find out why, we conducted 266 qualitative interviews in 2004-05 in four Russian cities, including HIV-positive women who had abandoned their infants and others who had not, relatives of the women (mostly their mothers), HIV-negative women who had abandoned, and medical experts.