Hiv in Pregnant Women

HIV AND PREGNANT WOMEN When people discover they are HIV positive, the though must be inconceivable. People, think “why me?” and it seems as though the world is crumbling down around them. Of course, everyone reacts differently and develops his or her own way to cope; however, it is crucial for him or her to realize that he or she is not alone and other people are fighting the same battle. The anxiety and stress about what the future holds takes over all thoughts and takes a toll on the body, making a person feel worse. But what if that HIV infected person is a pregnant woman? She has to not only take care of herself, but also protect the health of her baby. There are many children who were infected with HIV and many of them were born in developed countries where the possibility of mother- to- child transmission is immense. The children can by infected during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or labor and delivery. In order to protect them from the disease, a mother should undergo intervention, “that include antiretroviral (ARV) prophylaxis given to women during pregnancy and (labor to the infant in the first weeks of life.”) this doesn’t make sense

HIV Testing and Pregnancy Those pregnant women who suspect that they might be HIV positive should undergo testing in order to find what way could help her protect her health and decrease the possibility of “mother-to- child transmission of HIV”(Aids Info). If the mother is sure that she is infected with HIV, she can seek a health provider who will help her find the best way to protect the baby and recommend her the most suitable mediations. There are two ways that the pregnant women can be tested: opt-in or opt- out testing. The different between these methods is that when the woman wants to undergo opt in testing, she must be asked first and agree with that and sign the form. The other testing, opt- out, testing is automatical and is highly recommended to all pregnant women; however, women can refuse it and sign a