All you need to know about HIV testing during pregnancy

Posted by Rachitaa on January 28th, 2021

Sexually active women are vulnerable to the HIV virus, especially if they have multiple partners. Often an infected woman remains asymptomatic for a long time. If she gets pregnant meanwhile, then there is a probability that the unborn child would also get infected. Therefore, most doctors advise HIV testing during pregnancy. Early diagnosis can help control the spread of the virus to the unborn child.

How is HIV testing done?

HIV testing is like a routine blood test. It is done along with other antenatal blood tests. Single sample of blood can be used for all the tests.

When is HIV testing done?

HIV testing is done in the first trimester itself, usually before the tenth week.

What to do if the result of HIV testing is positive?

If the report of HIV testing comes positive that means you have HIV. Your doctor would start an anti-retroviral medicine treatment protocol to prevent the spread of the virus to the unborn child. When an HIV positive mom receives treatment early, the risk for the baby getting HIV goes from 25% down to less than 2% (1 in 50).Your doctor would also avoid invasive procedures like amniocentesis to avoid your water breaking for a long time. You will be recommended to go for a C-section delivery to avoid the spread of virus to your baby. However, if your viral load reduces and becomes close to zero then you may be allowed to opt for a natural delivery. Your doctor will do more tests to find out how much virus is in your body.  These tests will also determine how strong your immune system is to fight the virus.

Will newborn baby receive HIV testing?

Newborn babies of HIV positive mothers are tested for HIV shortly after birth.A positive result does not mean the baby has HIV. Newborns often get antibodies from their mothers during pregnancy and thus get false positive results. Babies are usually tested three times within the first six months to confirm HIV. If the baby test negative twice then they should be given an HIV antibody test between 12-18 months.  A positive HIV antibody result after 18 months of age confirms HIV infection in children.

Do pregnant women get a false positive result?

Studies show that almost 2% of the tests come out as false positive. It means that a woman is not actually HIV positive but her test results show it as positive. Pregnant women are often tested false positive because they are often given flu vaccine that increases the probability of false positive. When the HIV test of a pregnant woman comes as false positive then a test called the Western blot (WB) is run to confirm.

Is HIV testing confidential and consensual?

In most countries, HIV test results are a part of the medical records, however they are confidential. The HIV testing during pregnancy requires the consent of the patient and the patient can refuse to take the test.

HIV testing is a simple blood test and it does not impact the pregnancy in any way. Should the patient test positive, the doctors can treat the child and safe it from getting infected. Therefore, it is advisable to take the test.

Author Bio: Rachitaa Singh is a freelance content writer by her profession and has over 6 years of experience into blogging and article writing. Over the years, she has gained popularity as a content creator who specialises on topics such as parenting, pregnancy and new-born childcare. However, her forte is on writing articles on umbilical cord banking, stem cell therapy and research.