A guide to HIV, pregnancy & women's health

Order print edition | Download PDF (364 Kb).

This guide aims to help you get the most out of your own HIV treatment and care if you are considering pregnancy or during your pregnancy.

Full section index.
Introduction
Background and general questions: Can HIV-positive women safely become mothers? How do HIV drugs protect the baby? How is HIV transmitted to a baby? Will being pregnant make my HIV worse? and other questions.
Protecting and ensuring the mother's health.: Principles of care for pregnant women.
Transmission: How and why does transmission happen?; Transmission during pregnancy (in utero); During labour and delivery (intrapartum transmission); Breastfeeding
Planning your pregnancy.: Pre-conception, planned pregnancy, and your rights to have a baby. Sperm-washing. Assisted conception. The Swiss Statement.
Prenatal care and HIV treatment.: Does every HIV-positive woman need to use treatment in pregnancy? and other questions about ante-natal care.
HIV drugs during pregnancy.: Which drugs should I use? Which ones should I avoid?
Side effects: Should I expect more side effects when pregnant? Nausea, vomiting, morning sickness, feeling tied, anaemia, increased glucose, increased bilirubin and lactic acidosis.
Resistance.: What about resistance?
Monitoring and other tests: Will I need extra tests and monitoring? Tests to avoid.
Opportunistic infection prevention and treatment during pregnancy.: Opportunistic infection prevention and treatment. Vaccine use while pregnant. Treating genital herpes during pregnancy. Hepatits coinfection. TB coinfection.
HIV drugs and the baby's health: Will HIV drugs affect my baby's health?
Choices for delivery and use of C-section.: Options for delivery. Should I have an elective Caesarean section? Can I have a natural delivery?
After the baby is born.: What will I need to consider for my own health? How and when will I know that my baby is HIV-negative?
Breastfeeding.: Risks and options.
Tips from other i-Base guides.: Tips on adherence and managing morning sickness or nausea.
Additional info.: Where to find information on HIV treatment and care. Resourses and web links.
Words and phrases explained: Glossary
Adherence support charts from the i-Base guide 'Introduction to combination therapy'

Disclaimer
Information in this guide is not intended to replace information from your doctor or other healthcare workers. Decisions relating to your treatment should always be taken in consultation with your doctor.

Authors
Written by Polly Clayden and Simon Collins. Edited by Jeff Hoover. Drawings by Beth Higgins. Produced by HIV i-Base.

This is the web edition of the i-Base guide HIV, pregnancy & women's health. This guide is available in UK clinics. You can order free printed copies or download a PDF version (364 Kb). There are also several translations.