What To Do If You Test HIV Positive During Pregnancy

It could be nerve-racking to find out that you are HIV positive during pregnancy. Thankfully, HIV treatment protocol and medicines have improved, and testing HIV positive is no more the end of the world. These days, it is possible to have a healthy pregnancy despite testing HIV positive. Nevertheless, your pregnancy will be considered high-risk and you will have to be extra careful. 

Here is step-by-step guidance to help you cope with HIV during pregnancy.

• HIV can spread from mother to baby; therefore, your doctor will frequently do blood tests during prenatal visits to check the infection spread.

• Your doctor will put you on antiretroviral drugs to reduce the viral load.

• Your doctor will avoid procedures such as amniocentesis, internal monitoring of the baby, or allowing your water to stay broken for a long time.

• Your doctor will suggest a C-section delivery to reduce the chances of infection from mother to child. However, if your viral load is low, your doctor may allow a natural vaginal delivery.

• Go to the hospital as soon as possible after your water breaks. Having your water broken for a longer time exposes your child to HIV.

• Your doctor will give antiretroviral medicine to your baby immediately after birth. This is known as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). This significantly reduces the chances of your baby getting infected with HIV.

• Test your child for HIV within 48 hours of birth.

• Test your child for HIV again at 6 weeks and 12 weeks.

• Regularly test your baby for HIV till 18 months of age.

• Bottle-feed your baby instead of breastfeeding to reduce contact.

• Your baby will be given special pediatric anti-retroviral medicine to reduce the chances of infection. 

HIV medicine is safe to take during pregnancy. Side effects from HIV medicines usually last for a few days only. The most common side effects are nausea, fatigue, and trouble sleeping. Try to eat small meals and avoid spicy food to manage nausea.

Your child will be given AZT medicine for the first six months as it was exposed to HIV from the mother. AZT is a type of anti-HIV drug that blocks an enzyme that HIV needs to copy. AZT greatly reduces the risk of HIV passing from the mother to the child. AZT can cause some side effects in your baby. The most common side-effect of AZT is anemia or a shortage of red blood cells in the body. Your doctor will regularly check your baby during the first six months. The doctor will regularly do blood tests to check the complete blood count (CBC) of your baby. If you notice any of the following symptoms in your baby when they are on AZT, immediately call the doctor.

• High fever

• Continuous vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Continuous cough

• Rashes

• Sudden weight loss

• Lack of appetite

• Lethargy

HIV infection from mother to child can be managed by following a treatment plan. Most infected women do not pass their infection to their children if they take HIV medicines during pregnancy and delivery.