Is Truvada safe for pregnant women?
May 11, 2008
THE choice of the combination is influenced by many factors, including availability of drugs and the prescribing habits of the doctor. Truvada is a combination of two drugs; Tenofovir (a Nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor) and Emitricitabine also known as FTC.
Dear doctor, I read your article on ARVs and pregnancy published on April 28 with much interest. I am on ARVs, taking Neverapine and Truvada and I am two-months pregnant. Is the combination safe for my baby? I heard it is not used in children whose bones are still growing?
Mariam
Dear Mariam,
THE choice of the combination is influenced by many factors, including availability of drugs and the prescribing habits of the doctor. Truvada is a combination of two drugs; Tenofovir (a Nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor) and Emitricitabine also known as FTC.
Truvada is not given to children whose bones are still developing because Tenofovir affects growing bones. It is, therefore, advisable to avoid it during pregnancy. though there is not enough information about its effects in pregnancy among humans.
Ideally, Tenofovir, Efavirenz and a combination of Didanosine (DDI) and Stavudine (D4T) should be avoided in pregnancy. Since you became pregnant after you had already started taking Truvada, your doctor may have decided to keep you on this regimen after doing a risk-benefit assessment.
Actually, there is no absolute contraindication to this regimen like it is with Efavirenz.
So you could stay on it since there is no suitable alternative.
Lastly, health care workers should discuss reproductive health issues with their patients before starting them on ARVs.
Send your question on HIV to Health Editor, The New Vision. P. O. Box 9815, Kampala orhealth&beauty@ newvision.co.ug
Mariam
Dear Mariam,
THE choice of the combination is influenced by many factors, including availability of drugs and the prescribing habits of the doctor. Truvada is a combination of two drugs; Tenofovir (a Nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor) and Emitricitabine also known as FTC.
Truvada is not given to children whose bones are still developing because Tenofovir affects growing bones. It is, therefore, advisable to avoid it during pregnancy. though there is not enough information about its effects in pregnancy among humans.
Ideally, Tenofovir, Efavirenz and a combination of Didanosine (DDI) and Stavudine (D4T) should be avoided in pregnancy. Since you became pregnant after you had already started taking Truvada, your doctor may have decided to keep you on this regimen after doing a risk-benefit assessment.
Actually, there is no absolute contraindication to this regimen like it is with Efavirenz.
So you could stay on it since there is no suitable alternative.
Lastly, health care workers should discuss reproductive health issues with their patients before starting them on ARVs.
Send your question on HIV to Health Editor, The New Vision. P. O. Box 9815, Kampala orhealth&beauty@ newvision.co.ug