Perinatal HIV

Perinatal HIV, or vertical transmission, is the most common way children are infected with HIV and is the source of most aids cases. Perinatal HIV is transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or breastfeeding.

Most children living with HIV live in Africa where the HIV/AIDS epidemic has taken its greatest toll. These children acquired the disease from perinatal transmission and the death rate for these children is high because many of the regions are remote and proper medical care is almost nonexistent. In places like Botswana and Zimbabwe the child mortality rates have doubled since 1990 because of greatly improved health care. In 1996, The Perinatal HIV Research Unit, one of the largest AIDS research centers in Africa, was established. The PHRU focuses on prevention of perinatal transmission and also leads studies on a broader scope of complete HIV prevention, treatment and care.

In the United States 6,000 to 7,000 HIV-positive women give birth each year. Half of these women do not know their HIV status during pregnancy and many have no prenatal care at all. The Center for Disease Control funds a number of Perinatal HIV prevention programs such as tracking and surveillance programs where women who are not receiving medical care are connected to resources for the proper medical care they need, outreach programs, regional workshops and technical assistance to hospitals are also funded.

The prevention of Perinatal HIV rest primarily on the testing of pregnant women and the planning of a pregnancy by those who are aware of their status of being HIV positive. HIV testing is not mandatory and is offered on a purely voluntary basis simply for the fear that if testing was mandatory that women would avoid prenatal care altogether and cause an increase in the infection of children. Antiretroviral drugs can be given during pregnancy and reduce transmission of Perinatal HIV to below 2%. Although the procedure is highly controversial in its use for prevention of the transmission of Perinatal HIV, a scheduled caesarean section is sometimes advised in women who have not taken any antiretroviral drugs in order to reduce the risk of the infant coming in contact with the mothers' blood or other bodily fluids.

The cases of Perinatal transmission have drastically declined due to the increased testing and treatment of women and interventions to prevent the transmission of HIV to the infant. The number of infected children in 1991 was a staggering 1,650 which dropped to 67 in 2005.

Perinatal HIV is a largely preventable disease and the key is arming women with the information and resources to effectively take control of this disease and avoid passing it on to their children.

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