HIV Testing in Pregnancy

HIV Testing in Pregnancy is done to reduce the risk of mother to baby HIV transmission. Odds of mother to baby transmission is 15 - 30% chance without treatment during pregnancy, labour and delivery, and/or through breastfeeding. Why Test So women can make informed choices about their own health and their babies' health. When to Test Your family doctor can test you. Ideally, before you are pregnant As soon as you know you are pregnant Repeat testing for women with ongoing risk during pregnancy How to Test Testing remains the woman's decision. All pregnant women receive counselling about HIV and testing HIV antibody testing with informed consent Counselling about the test result and what it means Anti-viral Drugs can reduce the baby's risk to 1% - 8% if Ideally, mom begins by 14 weeks Drugs are given IV during labour & delivery Baby's given syrup for 6 weeks Benefits for Mom Knowing that you are infected helps you to make choices about your care Early treatment keeps you healthy longer May prevent the transmision of HIV to baby Risks for Mom It can be hard to wait for test result Your partner may have difficulty dealing with the test result Friends, family and agencies may treat you differently Benefits for Baby Mom taking anti-HIV drugs during pregnancy reduces the risk of infection to less than 8% Avoiding breastfeeding reduces the risk of infection Knowing about the infection means treatment is started sooner, keeping the baby healthier longer Risks for Baby Use of "new" drugs in pregnancy with little known of the effects on fetal growth People may treat the baby as "sick", even if the baby is not infected Friends, family, agencies may treat your baby differently Your Role What can you do to help? Tell your friends about the benefits of HIV testing Talk to your doctor before you get pregnant Support friends waiting for test results For More Information Call your family physician Call the AIDS/STD Program of Region of Waterloo Public Health at 519-883-2251 Call the Motherisk Line at 888-246-5840