Pregnant with aids.Pregnancy with HIV and AIDS
Women make up one of the fastest growing groups infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Most affected women are of childbearing age.
HIV is the causative agent of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The exact number of people infected with HIV is unknown. Currently it is estimated that up to 2 million people in the United States alone may be infected. The AIDS epidemic among women has grown to 15% of all reported cases.
Infection with HIV can lead to a progressive debilitation of the immune system, which is AIDS. This can leave the individual susceptible to and unable to fight against various infections.
Women at greatest risk include current or former intravenous drug users and women whose sexual partners have used drugs intravenously or engaged in bisexual activities. Women with sexually transmitted diseases, those who engage in prostitution or those who received blood transfusions before screening began are also at higher risk. If you are unsure about your risk, seek counseling about testing for the AIDS virus.
A woman infected with HIV may not have symptoms. There may be a period of weeks or months when tests do not reveal the presence of the virus. In most cases, antibodies can be detected 6 to 12 weeks after exposure. In some cases, this latent period can be as long as 18 months. Once the test is positive, a person may remain without symptoms for a variable amount of time. For every patient with AIDS, there are 20 to 30 infected individuals who have no symptoms.
There is no evidence of transmission through casual contact with water, food or environmental surfaces. There is no evidence the virus can be transmitted with RhoGAM®. (See Week 16.) A mother can pass HIV to her baby before birth or during its birth.
Pregnancy may hide some AIDS symptoms, which makes the disease harder to discover. Because the illness can be a serious threat to an unborn child, counseling and psychological support are critical.
There is some positive news for women who suffer from AIDS. We know that if a woman is in the early course of the illness, she can usually have an uneventful pregnancy, labor and delivery. Her baby has a risk of being infected during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding. However, research shows that the risk of a woman infected with HIV passing the virus to her baby can now be greatly reduced and nearly eliminated. If she takes AZT during pregnancy and has a Cesarean delivery, she reduces the risk of passing the virus to about 2%!
Testing for AIDS
Testing comprises two tests the ELISA test and the Western Blot test. The ELISA is a screening test. If positive, it should be confirmed by the Western Blot test. Both tests involve testing blood to measure antibodies to the virus, not the virus itself. No test should be considered positive until the Western Blot test is done. It is believed to be more than 99% sensitive and specific.
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