PREGNANCY AND AIDS

Some basics

If you become pregnant and decide to have your baby, the most important thing you can do is get good prenatal care. The chances of passing HIV to your baby before or during birth are about one in four, or 25 percent, for each pregnancy.

As a general rule, treatment for HIV infection in pregnant women is the same as for others who are not pregnant. You should have a Pap test during your pregnancy, and your doctor will probably recommend a CD4 count as soon as prenatal care begins. Depending on the results, you may not need another CD4 count during your pregnancy.

If you become infected with the TB germ while you are pregnant, your doctor can give you medicine, and chest x-rays may be used with proper precautions.

If you are pregnant and have syphilis, you will need special care. Babies born to women with untreated syphilis can become seriously ill or die. Here are questions to ask if you are HIV-positive and pregnant:

• Should I be tested for syphilis during pregnancy?
• What treatments are used for syphilis during pregnancy?
• Are they safe for my baby?
• Will I be cured?
• Will my baby be cured?

Your immune system may work differently during pregnancy, so your doctor will watch you closely. Here are some questions you may want to ask:

• Will pregnancy affect my HIV infection?
• Will the medicines I take for HIV be safe for me and my baby?
• Will my baby get sick?
• Are there special HIV drug studies for pregnant women?
• If so, how can I take part in such a study?

After birth, your baby should be tested regularly for HIV infection, whether or not HIV is present at birth. The baby also should be tested for syphilis, even if you were treated during pregnancy. Because HIV infection can be passed through breast milk, you should not breastfeed your baby.