HIV Infection Poses a Serious Threat during Pregnancy

Pregnancy has been proved to make women susceptible to HIV infection, especially those residing in high prevalence areas. Recent statistics show a high number of HIV-infected pregnant women, Africa registered as the continent where the disease is raging most. The threat is so grave as to necessitate constant testing for the infection among would-be mothers.

A study delivered at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections gives the following figures: 2.6 to 4.4 per cent of expectant mothers found HIV-negative at prenatal checkups get the infection in a matter of a few weeks.
Pregnancy is accompanied by vast hormonal and immune changes that may enhance women’s vulnerability and make them yield to the infection more easily.

Besides repeated testing of expectant mothers other measures should be taken to diminish the risk. Lead researcher Wafaa El-Sadr warned pregnant women to take every precaution to ensure safe sex with a reliable partner during the crucial period as one of the measures that may protect them against the infection.

Mothers should bear in mind that their babies are also threatened. Mary Pat Kieffer, the director for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, accentuates the fact that “a huge percentage of infections in infants are coming from these women.”

Source of the image: sxc.hu/profile/bsilder.