HIV & Pregnancy

Doctors recommend all pregnant women get tested for HIV. Medications are available to prevent the spread of the virus to your unborn baby. In addition, steps can be taken during delivery to prevent spreading the infection. Some studies show a woman can further reduce the risk of spreading the virus to her baby by having acesarean section before her water breaks. Moreover, your health care provider can take steps to help you stay healthy longer.

There are a number of interventions that can reduce the risk of HIV transmission between a couple when attempting to conceive a child.


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If the woman is HIV positive and the man is HIV negative
An HIV positive woman and an HIV negative man can conceive without HIV transmission occurring by using artificial insemination (the process by which sperm is placed into a female's genital tract using artificial means rather than by natural sexual intercourse). This simple technique provides total protection for the man, but does nothing to reduce the risk of HIV transmission to the baby.

If the man is HIV positive and the woman is HIV negative
Sperm washing is a process used to prevent HIV transmission from an HIV positive man to his partner during conception. Sperm washing involves separating sperm cells from seminal fluid, testing these cells for HIV, then inserting the cells into the woman's womb (intrauterine insemination), or directly into the egg (in vitro fertilisation or intracytoplasmic sperm injection). Sperm washing is a very effective way to reduce the risk of HIV transmission during conception, but it is not widely available and can be difficult to access, even in well resourced countries. Alternatives to sperm washing have been researched, such as the method of using PrEP and timed intercourse when the HIV-positive male partner is taking antiretroviral drugs.

If both man and woman are HIV positive
When both partners are HIV positive, it might still be sensible for them not to engage in frequent unprotected sex, because there might be a small risk of one re-infecting the other with a different strain of HIV.

If a pregnant woman is infected with HIV, she can transmit the virus to her baby during pregnancy, labour and delivery, or breastfeeding. Without treatment, around 15-30 percent of babies born to HIV-infected women will become infected with HIV during pregnancy and delivery. A further 5-20 percent will become infected through breastfeeding.

HIV Testing for Pregnant Women

In many countries across the world, women are tested for HIV during pregnancy. There are a number of important reasons for this:

- HIV infection can be passed on to a baby during pregnancy, labour and delivery, and breastfeeding. With appropriate treatment and intervention, the chances of a child becoming infected can be reduced from around 25% to less than 2%. It is therefore vital that an HIV infection in a mother is identified during the early stages of pregnancy to allow for an opportunity to reduce the risk of transmission to the baby.

- In areas where antiretroviral therapy is available, a pregnant woman can receive these drugs if she tests HIV positive during pregnancy. The antiretroviral drugs can suppress HIV, which will keep her healthy for longer.

- For many women, especially in resource-poor areas, pregnancy will be the only time in their young adult lives when they access healthcare services on a regular basis. It therefore presents an excellent opportunity not only to screen for HIV, but also to educate and advise about the dangers of the virus.