I want to have another child but I have HIV
MOTHER-TO-CHILD transmission of HIV can now be significantly minimised because we know how children get infected with HIV from their parents plus some of the factors involved in the process.
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti
Dear doctor,
I am HIV positive while my husband is HIV negative. I am on ARVs and my CD4 count is high and I feel fine. We have discussed and agreed we should have one more child because we have only two children and one of them who is our first-born is HIV-positive. We always use condoms whenever we have sex but we have received counsel on how I can get pregnant without putting my husband at the risk of contracting HIV. Doctor, what is the probability of my passing on HIV to the baby if I conceive? The thought of infecting my baby scares me because already, I feel guilty I infected my first-born.
Berna
Dear Berna,
MOTHER-TO-CHILD transmission of HIV can now be significantly minimised because we know how children get infected with HIV from their parents plus some of the factors involved in the process.
Children can be infected with HIV from their mothers while still in the womb and this often happens when the mother is not on ARVs and has a high viral load which means the virus is very active in the body.
Another factor that could increase the risk of transmission of HIV during pregnancy is damage to the placenta, which acts as a barrier between baby and mother.
This can be traumatic damage or even damage caused by infections such as malaria.
Most of the children infected with HIV, however, do so during labour and delivery. That is why HIV-positive mothers are given a dose of ARVs when labour starts, to minimise this plus putting the baby on a syrup of Nevirapine soon after birth.
These measures reduce the risk of HIV transmission during labour and birth. Sometimes, mothers undergo caesarean section delivery, which if done well and professionally, reduces the chances of HIV transmission.
Lastly, HIV can be transmitted during breast-feeding, so planning not to breastfeed if you can afford baby formula is a good strategy to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV because the virus is found in breast milk.
If you must breastfeed, we recommend exclusive breast-feeding for three months then stop and continue with alternative feeding.
If you use these prevention of mother-to-child transmission methods, you will minimise the chances of infecting your baby with HIV.
However, it is important that you seek counselling so that you are equipped with skills to handle any eventualities because even when you use these strategies, your baby can still be infected though the risk is significantly reduced.
Dear doctor,
I am HIV positive while my husband is HIV negative. I am on ARVs and my CD4 count is high and I feel fine. We have discussed and agreed we should have one more child because we have only two children and one of them who is our first-born is HIV-positive. We always use condoms whenever we have sex but we have received counsel on how I can get pregnant without putting my husband at the risk of contracting HIV. Doctor, what is the probability of my passing on HIV to the baby if I conceive? The thought of infecting my baby scares me because already, I feel guilty I infected my first-born.
Berna
Dear Berna,
MOTHER-TO-CHILD transmission of HIV can now be significantly minimised because we know how children get infected with HIV from their parents plus some of the factors involved in the process.
Children can be infected with HIV from their mothers while still in the womb and this often happens when the mother is not on ARVs and has a high viral load which means the virus is very active in the body.
Another factor that could increase the risk of transmission of HIV during pregnancy is damage to the placenta, which acts as a barrier between baby and mother.
This can be traumatic damage or even damage caused by infections such as malaria.
Most of the children infected with HIV, however, do so during labour and delivery. That is why HIV-positive mothers are given a dose of ARVs when labour starts, to minimise this plus putting the baby on a syrup of Nevirapine soon after birth.
These measures reduce the risk of HIV transmission during labour and birth. Sometimes, mothers undergo caesarean section delivery, which if done well and professionally, reduces the chances of HIV transmission.
Lastly, HIV can be transmitted during breast-feeding, so planning not to breastfeed if you can afford baby formula is a good strategy to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV because the virus is found in breast milk.
If you must breastfeed, we recommend exclusive breast-feeding for three months then stop and continue with alternative feeding.
If you use these prevention of mother-to-child transmission methods, you will minimise the chances of infecting your baby with HIV.
However, it is important that you seek counselling so that you are equipped with skills to handle any eventualities because even when you use these strategies, your baby can still be infected though the risk is significantly reduced.