Pregnancy and HIV: What you need to know before starting a family.

[Guest guest]

Pregnancy and HIV: What you need to know before starting a family.

Years ago, if a woman was infected with HIV, it meant that she lost

all hope of having children. The fear of transmitting her HIV to her

unborn baby was too high of a risk for most women. But the advent of

HIV medications and the acceptance by physicians to the idea of HIV

positive women getting pregnant has given women new hope in

fulfilling their dream of becoming pregnant and having children.

But getting pregnant while living with HIV is not without risk. If

women are aware of these risks and work closely with their doctors,

there is no reason HIV should prevent them from becoming moms.

How does HIV infect my unborn baby? HIV can infect children of HIV

positive women in one of three ways.

• HIV can pass from mother to unborn baby while growing inside the

womb and sharing mom's blood supply.

• Baby can be infected by coming in close contact with mother's

infected bodily fluids during childbirth.

• HIV can pass from mother to baby during breast feeding and drinking

mother's milk.

Is there any way I can prevent giving my baby HIV?

Without proper precautions during pregnancy, during delivery, and

after delivery, the risk of giving your baby HIV is about 25%. But

the good news is that the risk can be lowered to about 2-3% by

following these guidelines.

• Using HIV medications: We all know the benefits of taking our HIV

medicines. Having a pregnant woman take a regimen containing AZT

during the last 6 months of her pregnancy and giving AZT to to the

baby for at least 6 weeks after being born can significantly decrease

the risk of transmitting HIV to the baby.

• Delivering by Cesarean section (C-section): To decrease the risk of

HIV transmission, exposure time to HIV infected fluids must be kept

to a minimum. A C-section is a quicker type of delivery with less

exposure to infected fluids when compared to a vaginal delivery.

While at one time it was recommended that women deliver by C-Section,

most experts now say that vaginal delivery is now a safe option.

• Avoid breast milk: Because HIV can be transmitted through breast

milk, women who have HIV should not breast feed their babies Only

baby formulas should be used.

Is becoming pregnant dangerous for me? Will my HIV disease get worse?

There is no evidence that being pregnant makes a woman's HIV disease

worse. However, because certain medicines (e.g. Sustiva) have been

connected to birth defects in children, a woman may have to stop some

of her medications, which may allow her HIV disease to progress.

Mom must take care of herself and her baby.

Women, by instinct, most often will do whatever it takes to care for

their unborn child, including taking HIV regimens without missing a

dose. But some women will stop their meds after the baby is born.

Like anyone living with HIV, adhering to HIV therapies is an

extremely important part of staying healthy. Even after delivery,

moms who need HIV medicines should continue to take them. If a mother

is not taking care of herself and is not staying healthy, she will be

unable to care for her new baby.

It all comes down to this.

The risk of passing HIV to your baby can be decreased to as little as

2% if a woman takes HIV meds at appropriate times in her pregnancy,

delivers her baby by C-section, and does not breast feed. HIV no

longer prevents a couple from starting a family. HIV no longer means

a woman can't become a mother. Again, with the proper medical care

and by taking care of yourself, you can take control of your life and

your future.

If you are thinking of becoming pregnant, talk to your HIV specialist

about treatment options and to develop a plan for your pregnancy.

Mark Cichocki

http://aids.about.com/cs/womensresources/a/pregnancy.htm