HIV/AIDS and Pregnancy
Motherhood is a wonderful experience. Regardless of your HIV status, you are a
woman first and may want to have children. Because HIV can be spread to your
baby during the pregnancy, while giving birth, or by breastfeeding, you will have
many issues to think about in order to have a healthy baby.
If you are pregnant or want to become pregnant, the best first step you can take is
to talk with your doctor. You can decide together on the best treatment for you and
your baby before, during, and after the pregnancy. Besides the normal measures
you'll need to take before getting pregnant, there are other things you can do
before you're pregnant to improve your health while you're pregnant:
HIV/AIDS Drugs and Pregnancy
Pregnant women who haven't used any HIV drugs before may want to think about
waiting until after being 10-12 weeks pregnant to start any HIV treatment. Since you
may have nausea and vomiting early in your pregnancy, it may be hard to start the
HIV drugs. Also, because the effects of some drugs aren't known, your baby is more
likely to be hurt by the drugs in the first trimester. Keep in mind that HIV is usually
passed to a baby late in pregnancy or during delivery. Talk to your doctor about
your health status and the benefits and risks of delaying treatment.
If you are already taking HIV drugs, and find out you're pregnant in the first
trimester, talk to your doctor about the potential risks and known benefits to your
baby if you continue drug treatment during your pregnancy. Decide if you want to
stop taking the HIV drugs completely in the first trimester. If you do, all of the drugs
should be stopped at the same time and then started again (later in the pregnancy)
together at the same time. This will prevent drug resistance (drugs that don't work
anymore). When you do start taking HIV drugs again during the pregnancy, talk to
your doctor about choosing drugs that will reduce the chances of passing HIV to
your baby, including ZDV/AZT (zidovudine). Unfortunately, researchers don't know if
stopping your HIV drugs causes problems with your baby. If your viral load
increases while you are off of your HIV drugs, your disease could progress and
cause problems for your baby. Unfortunately, the effects of some HIV drugs on an
unborn baby are not yet known, so it's a big decision.
If you are already taking HIV drugs, and find out you're pregnant after the first
trimester, continue with treatment. Try to include ZDV/AZT in your treatment.
During your pregnancy, you may need to adjust your medicines while you're
pregnant. Changing your treatment will depend on many factors:
There are certain drugs that should NOT be taken by pregnant women
because they may cause birth defects:
Viramune® (Nevirapine) should be used with caution in pregnant women with HIV
who have not yet started treatment and are being treated to prevent passing HIV to
their babies.
No one can tell you for sure if your baby will be born with HIV. You can help protect
your baby from HIV and keep yourself healthy by getting regular prenatal care and
closely following your HIV drug treatment plan. It is important to learn more about
having a healthy pregnancy.
Take These Steps to Prevent Giving HIV to Your Baby
Just because you have HIV doesn't mean your child will get HIV. In the United
States, about 25 percent of pregnant HIV positive women who do not receive AZT or
a combination of HIV drugs pass on the virus to their babies. If women do receive a
combination of HIV drugs during pregnancy, the risk of giving HIV to the newborn is
below 2 percent. The steps below can help prevent giving HIV to your baby.
Additional Information on HIV/AIDS and Pregnancy:
Motherhood is a wonderful experience. Regardless of your HIV status, you are a
woman first and may want to have children. Because HIV can be spread to your
baby during the pregnancy, while giving birth, or by breastfeeding, you will have
many issues to think about in order to have a healthy baby.
If you are pregnant or want to become pregnant, the best first step you can take is
to talk with your doctor. You can decide together on the best treatment for you and
your baby before, during, and after the pregnancy. Besides the normal measures
you'll need to take before getting pregnant, there are other things you can do
before you're pregnant to improve your health while you're pregnant:
- keep your viral load as low as possible by staying on the medicine your
doctor has given you
- manage side effects from the HIV/AIDS drugs
- get shots if you need them to prevent opportunistic infections (Ols) like the flu
or pneumonia
- keep a healthy diet
- get plenty of rest
HIV/AIDS Drugs and Pregnancy
Pregnant women who haven't used any HIV drugs before may want to think about
waiting until after being 10-12 weeks pregnant to start any HIV treatment. Since you
may have nausea and vomiting early in your pregnancy, it may be hard to start the
HIV drugs. Also, because the effects of some drugs aren't known, your baby is more
likely to be hurt by the drugs in the first trimester. Keep in mind that HIV is usually
passed to a baby late in pregnancy or during delivery. Talk to your doctor about
your health status and the benefits and risks of delaying treatment.
If you are already taking HIV drugs, and find out you're pregnant in the first
trimester, talk to your doctor about the potential risks and known benefits to your
baby if you continue drug treatment during your pregnancy. Decide if you want to
stop taking the HIV drugs completely in the first trimester. If you do, all of the drugs
should be stopped at the same time and then started again (later in the pregnancy)
together at the same time. This will prevent drug resistance (drugs that don't work
anymore). When you do start taking HIV drugs again during the pregnancy, talk to
your doctor about choosing drugs that will reduce the chances of passing HIV to
your baby, including ZDV/AZT (zidovudine). Unfortunately, researchers don't know if
stopping your HIV drugs causes problems with your baby. If your viral load
increases while you are off of your HIV drugs, your disease could progress and
cause problems for your baby. Unfortunately, the effects of some HIV drugs on an
unborn baby are not yet known, so it's a big decision.
If you are already taking HIV drugs, and find out you're pregnant after the first
trimester, continue with treatment. Try to include ZDV/AZT in your treatment.
During your pregnancy, you may need to adjust your medicines while you're
pregnant. Changing your treatment will depend on many factors:
- your CD4 count
- risk for disease progression
- use of HIV/AIDS drugs
- how far along the pregnancy is
- what is known and not know about the effects of the drugs on the fetus
- best treatment for the health of the HIV positive mother
There are certain drugs that should NOT be taken by pregnant women
because they may cause birth defects:
- Hivid® (Zalcitabine)
- Rescriptor® (Delavirdine)
- Efavirenz (Sustiva®)
- D4T (Zerit®) for pregnant women who haven't used any HIV drugs before
- Combination of ddI and d4T (Videx® and Zerit®)
- Oral liquid of amprenavir (Agenerase®)
- Hydroxyurea (anticancer drug) during the first semester
Viramune® (Nevirapine) should be used with caution in pregnant women with HIV
who have not yet started treatment and are being treated to prevent passing HIV to
their babies.
No one can tell you for sure if your baby will be born with HIV. You can help protect
your baby from HIV and keep yourself healthy by getting regular prenatal care and
closely following your HIV drug treatment plan. It is important to learn more about
having a healthy pregnancy.
Take These Steps to Prevent Giving HIV to Your Baby
Just because you have HIV doesn't mean your child will get HIV. In the United
States, about 25 percent of pregnant HIV positive women who do not receive AZT or
a combination of HIV drugs pass on the virus to their babies. If women do receive a
combination of HIV drugs during pregnancy, the risk of giving HIV to the newborn is
below 2 percent. The steps below can help prevent giving HIV to your baby.
- Get prenatal care. Going to your doctor before you get pregnant or as
soon as you find out you're pregnant will improve your health and the health
of your baby.
- Take HIV/AIDS medicines. Take HIV/AIDS drugs that include ZDV/AZT. Talk
to your doctor about which HIV/AIDS drugs to take and when to take them.
- Lower the risk of passing HIV during delivery. Choose the type of
delivery that will reduce the risks of passing HIV to your baby. A cesarean
delivery or C-section is done so the baby doesn't touch the mother's blood. If
you choose a C-section, you will deliver at 38 weeks to avoid labor and
having the water break around your baby. Your doctor may recommend this
type of delivery if you have a high viral load (higher than 1000 copies/mL at
36 weeks gestation) or if you're not taking HIV drugs. If your viral load is not
detectable, you may want to consider a vaginal delivery since the risk of
passing HIV to your baby this way is very low.
- Do not breastfeed. You can pass the virus to your baby through your breast
milk.
Additional Information on HIV/AIDS and Pregnancy:
Public Health Service Task Force Recommendations
for the Use of Antiretroviral Drugs in Pregnant
for the Use of Antiretroviral Drugs in Pregnant
HIV-1-Infected Women for Maternal Health and Interventions to
Reduce Perinatal HIV-1 Transmission in the United States - This
report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
gives recommendations for treating HIV positive mothers to reduce
the risk that the baby will contract HIV.
Reduce Perinatal HIV-1 Transmission in the United States - This
report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
gives recommendations for treating HIV positive mothers to reduce
the risk that the baby will contract HIV.
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© 2007 Abesha Care Inc. All Right Reserved. office@abeshacare.org
| Content Source: womenshealth.gov navigation Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, |
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Information on this website is provided as a guide only. All treatment decisions should be
taken in consultation with your doctor or other healthcare professional.
taken in consultation with your doctor or other healthcare professional.