Pregnancy and HIV, a tale of two studies

Two studies crossed my desk recently – okay, actually about a million studies crossed my desk – but these two had to do with pregnancy and HIV.  What do you want first, good news or bad?  The first study (which you can read about here), found that 57% of HIV positive women in Ontario not only wish, but intend to become pregnant.  This is good news, because it means that these women are getting the message that they can become mothers and deliver healthy babies, despite living with HIV.  The “bad news” study is one from Thailand.  Of 148 HIV positive women surveyed, 59% had been told by healthcare workers that they could not have a baby.  Twenty percent were denied antiretroviral therapy until they began taking birth control, and nine women were forced to end their pregnancies.

For women diagnosed with HIV during their child-bearing years, the question of whether they can have kids is bound to come up (even if it’s something they don’t want to do).  It is ever-present on web forums and discussion boards, and I think it’s completely understandable that women feel anxiety about it.  There is so much information to collect and absorb and anybody who is newly diagnosed will feel some anxiety about how HIV might affect their plans and dreams.  The good news for women living with HIV is that taking antiretroviral treatment and avoiding breastfeeding can reduce the likelihood of mother-to-child transmission to less than 2%. 

Of course, avoiding mother-to-child transmission is only half the battle.  Many women have questions about whether they will be well enough to raise a child.  The truth is, all women ask this question before becoming mothers.  None of us know what tomorrow holds – whether we will be there to watch our children grow into adulthood and beyond.  We can only work hard to live a safe and healthy life, and hope for the best.  Again, thanks to antiretroviral treatment, women are living long, full lives with HIV.  So, even this completely understandable (and maybe unavoidable) worry doesn’t need to be an additional barrier because of HIV.

Deciding to become a mother is a huge step for any woman, regardless of her HIV status, and there will be many things to consider – work situation, support network, life plans, lifestyle change … and the list goes on!  For women living with HIV, the virus will be one of these things to consider, and it might even be at the top of the list.  The only advice we can give is to make sure you are dealing with somebody who knows what they’re talking about, has current information, and respects your right (and ability) to make choices about your body and future.

At Positive Women’s Network, we support HIV positive women who are pregnant or wish to become pregnant.  Check out our pamphlet: HIV and Pregnancy – Yes you can, which has recently been translated into Spanish and is being distributed in Mexico and South America.  In British Columbia, we recommend that women living with HIV contact Oaktree Clinic to talk about having a baby safely.  To those women who decide to go ahead and do it, Happy Fertility!

-Miriam

This was posted on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 10:00 am and is filed under News . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.

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