HIV pregnancy screening

Screening pregnant women for HIV

Pregnant women should be retested in the third trimester and rapid HIV testing at labor and delivery are additional strategies to further reduce the rate of perinatal HIV transmission. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV is most effective when antiretroviral drugs are received by the mother during her pregnancy and continued through delivery and then administered to the infant after birth. Antiretroviral drugs are effective in reducing the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV even when prophylaxis is started for the infant soon after birth. New rapid testing methods allow identification of HIV-infected women or HIV-exposed infants in 20 to 60 minutes.

It is recommended that babies born to HIV-infected mothers receive an antiretroviral drug such as zidovudine after birth. They should also receive medication to prevent HIV-associated infections.