HIV (Human immunodeficiency Virus) is responsible for AIDS and there may be a considerable delay, from months to years, between the mother becoming infected with the virus and the onset of AIDS symptoms. Heterosexual transmission of HIV is becoming more common, particularly in Africa, and intravenous drug use predisposes to infection. More than 90% of HIV-infected children in the UK acquire the infection from their mothers during pregnancy or soon after birth.
Many women do not suspect they are positive until the diagnosis is made on their child. This can be even more distressing than discovering a positive result during pregnancy when transmission can be minimized. When HIV testing first became available in 1985 there was no effective way of intervening to improve the health of mothers and babies. Today, much more is understood about mother to child transmission and medical intervention has been shown to dramatically reduce the risk to the baby. So while a negative result will be reassuring, a positive result will direct the mother to take effective measures during birth and feeding to decrease the baby’s chance of developing HIV as well as improving her own health.
A number of drug therapies are now available for mothers to help reduce the viral load and its effects on mother and baby. Without treatment transmission of HIV to the baby of an infected mother occurs in up lo 27% of cases. It is now clear that transmission can be reducedto under 5% by drug treatment, prohibiting breastfeeding and preventing cuts or injury during birth. HIV usually causes no symptoms at first but can lead to AIDS. HIV can be passed from a mother to her baby, but this risk can be greatly reduced if the mother is diagnosed before the birth. The infection can be detected through a blood test.
If you are pregnant and are diagnosed with HIV you should receive specialist care.